SCOTLAND

Departmental Advertising

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on advertising by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each year since 2005.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office spent £17,510 in 2006-07 and nothing in 2005-06 on advertising.

Departmental Homeworking

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice, which are both committed to achieving a work life balance for all staff. No staff in the Office have formally worked from home in the last year.

Departmental Public Relations

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which public relations companies had contracts with  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible since 2004.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has incurred no expenditure on public relations since 2004.

Departmental Travel

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many journeys his Department's  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants made between London and Scotland on official business in each month since May 2007.

David Cairns: The information requested is set out in the following table. There were no journeys by car. In relation to ministerial journeys, the information relates to travel paid by the Scotland Office. This does not include weekly travel between London and Ministers' homes in Scotland, paid by the House of Commons.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Air  Rail 
			   Ministers  Civil Servants  Ministers  Civil Servants 
			 May 2007 0.5 22.0 0.5 8.0 
			 June 4.0 29.5 — 11.0 
			 July 1.5 23.5 — 12.5 
			 August 1.0 7.0 — 4.0 
			 September 2.0 17.5 — 7.5 
			 October — 26.5 — 7.0 
			 November 0.5 18.0 — 10.0 
			 December 0.5 16.5 — 5.5 
			 January 2008 3.5 21.5 — 8.5 
			  Note:  A return journey is classed as one journey; if, for example, the outward leg of a journey is undertaken by air and the return by train, this is shown as 0.5 of a journey under each column.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to promote fair trade fortnight 2008 among staff within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: Fairtrade fortnight was recently promoted on the intranet to which all staff in the Scotland Office have access.

Mineral Waters

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many litres of bottled water were purchased by his Department in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not centrally record the number of litres of bottled water that are purchased.

TRANSPORT

A1: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response she has made to the inspector's report into the proposed A1 upgrade between Dishforth and Barton.

Tom Harris: The inspector's report is currently being considered and a decision on the published scheme will be made as soon as possible.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) staff and  (b) full-time equivalent staff under 18 years are employed by her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Civil service statistics are collected by ONS from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. The latest published statistics are for the year to 30 September 2006. This shows for the Department for Transport a headcount of 20 and 10 FTEs aged under 18 years.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the salary range is for each pay band of civil servants in her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The salary range for each pay band in the Department for Transport is given in the following tables which show the minimum and maximum salary for each grade encompassing the individual pay rates of the central Department and agencies.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Grade  Location  Minimum  Maximum 
			 AA Outside London 10,850 16,141 
			  London 13,865 19,973 
			 
			 AO Outside London 14,742 19,853 
			  London 17,499 23,355 
			 
			 EO Outside London 18,689 26,099 
			  London 22,086 28,706 
			 
			 HEO Outside London 23,147 33,260 
			  London 25,949 36,238 
			 
			 HEO/SEO Outside London 28,356 33,710 
			  London 31,369 37,291 
			 
			 SEO Outside London 30,625 41,692 
			  London 34,199 47,258 
			 
			 Grade 7 Outside London 38,269 56,830 
			  London 43,440 67,248 
			 
			 Grade 6 Outside London 48,070 64,787 
			  London 54,508 68,190 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			  Grade  Minimum  Ceiling 
			 SCSPB1 56,100 116,000 
			 SCSPB2 81,600 160,000 
			 SCSPB3 99,960 205,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Specialist grades which are outside of the aforementioned 
			  £ 
			   Minimum  Maximum 
			  Traffic management   
			 1A 16,719 18,466 
			 1B 17,248 20,912 
			 2 23,716 28,751 
			 3 37,516 45,478 
			
			  Accident and nuclear   
			 SEO 53,481 62,792 
			 Grade 7 65,500 75,000 
			 Grade 6 72,500 85,000 
			
			 Coastguard technical S level 34,564 43,525 
			
			 Senior driving examiners 24,258 26,866

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the current average basic pay for full-time equivalent  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) AA, (ii) AO and (iii) EO or equivalent grades is in each of her Department's bargaining units.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The current average basic pay for men and women within each of the Department's bargaining units is shown in the following table. London and outside London salaries are included within the averages shown.
	
		
			  £ 
			   AA  AO  EO 
			   Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male 
			 DfT(C) 16,902.33 17,341.00 22,196.29 21,903.30 25,958.74 26,410.67 
			 VOSA 12,510.00 16,240.00 16,860.00 20,520.00 22,600.00 25,970.00 
			 DVLA 13,653.90 13,486.41 16,656.34 16,710.04 20,315.39 20,344.85 
			 VCA 15,660.00 14,895.00 18,343.00 18,259.00 22,250.00 23,032.00 
			 HA 15,688.00 15,402.00 16,653.00 16,530.00 20,459.00 20,300.00 
			 MCA 13,751.74 13,581.47 16,838.16 17,178.70 21,880.16 23,215.66 
			 DSA 14,855.50 14,600.20 17,276.50 17,205.46 21,802.30 21,685.47 
			 GCDA — — 21,749.01 21,134.34 25,391.66 26,228.63 
			  Note: VOSA levels made up of both technical and non-technical staff. Technical posts attract a market premium and these posts are predominantly filled by male staff.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions from hon. Members for answer on a named day received by her Department have received a  (a) holding answer and  (b) substantive answer by the named day in each year since 2001.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002. Figures between that date and the beginning of parliamentary session 2002-03 are not available.
	The requested information from the beginning of session 2002-03 is contained in the following table:
	
		
			   Named-day parliamentary questions receiving a holding answer  Named-day parliamentary questions receiving a substantive answer on the due date 
			  Parliamentary  s ession  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2002-03 117 21.8 420 78.2 
			 2003-04 147 29.4 353 70.6 
			 2004-05 76 32.2 164 67.8 
			 2005-06 288 25.9 826 74.1 
			 2006-07 119 16.6 599 83.4 
		
	
	My ministerial colleagues and I aim to ensure that hon. Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the due day. Unfortunately this is not always possible but the Department for Transport makes every effort to achieve the timescales.

Driving Tests

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether delegated examiners may conduct driving tests for candidates who  (a) they have personally trained and  (b) have been trained by an organisation where the delegated examiner is the head of training; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is a condition of approval that delegated examiners are not permitted to conduct driving tests for candidates that they have personally trained.
	A person may be a delegated examiner and head of training but is not permitted to conduct driving tests for candidates they have personally trained.

First Great Western: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 147W, on First Great Western: standards, what her timescale is for a reassessment of the ability of First Great Western Franchise to comply with the current franchise; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 73-4WS.

Hacking

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the use of a hacking tool or other malicious software enabling information to be  (a) retrieved and  (b) manipulated by a third party has been detected on a (i) network or (ii) computer in her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for this Department to confirm whether it holds information about attacks against its IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful this Department is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences.

Minibuses: Concessions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will extend concessionary fare schemes to cover the provision of volunteer car and minibus services.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have no plans at present to extend the coverage of statutory concessionary travel to cover the provision of volunteer car and minibus services, although a small number of community transport-type services may already be eligible for the statutory concession. Our current focus is on the successful implementation of the new all-England off-peak bus travel concession from April this year.
	Any changes to the scope of concessionary travel would have to be fully funded and the impacts considered carefully following consultation with all the interested parties. Local authorities retain the ability to offer discretionary concessions over and above the statutory minimum at their own expense.

Railways

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which community rail partnership projects she has visited since her appointment as Secretary of State; and which representatives of train operating companies she has met.

Tom Harris: Since her appointment, the Secretary of State has met with representatives of the following train operating companies or franchise owning companies: Arrive, Chiltern Rail, EWS, First Group, Go-Ahead Group, National Express Group, SERCO-NedRailways, Stagecoach Group, Virgin Trains. She has also met representatives of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). In addition my right hon. Friend has visited the community rail project at Walkden station.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average weight of  (a) an electric and  (b) a diesel train carriage is; and what the average weight will be of each of those referred to in the rolling stock plan of 30 January.

Tom Harris: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The Department does not compile this information, but it is available through the railway trade press.

Trains: Design

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department provides on train cab design best practice.

Tom Harris: The Department has not published any guidance on cab design. Best practice guidance on the design of train cabs is published by the Railway Safety and Standards Board on behalf of the industry.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Tourists

Bob Spink: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many visitors to the Houses of Parliament undertook a public tour in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: Figures given are for calendar years:
	
		
			  Members '  tours (free) 
			   Number 
			 2003 95,990 
			 2004 111,656 
			 2005 106,844 
			 2006 127,736 
			 2007 133,533 
		
	
	Figures are for bookings taken and permits issued by the Central Tours Office and do not include guests escorted personally by passholders. They also do not include schools coming via the Parliamentary Education Service or Clock Tower Tours.
	
		
			  Summer opening (paying) 
			   Number 
			 2003 86,806 
			 2004 93,314 
			 2005 79,170 
			 2006 87,294 
			 2007 89,300 
		
	
	
		
			  Totals (both categories) 
			   Number 
			 2003 182,796 
			 2004 204,970 
			 2005 186,014 
			 2006 215,030 
			 2007 222,833

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how many people over the age of 55 have commenced employment in her Office in each of the last three years.

Helen Goodman: None.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Leader of the House how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions from hon. Members for answer on a named day received by her Office have received a  (a) holding answer and  (b) substantive answer by the named day in each year since 2001.

Helen Goodman: The information requested is as follows;
	
		
			   Answered substantively 
			  Session  Percentage  Number 
			 2007-08 (to date) 100 18 of 18 
			 2006-07 100 40 of 40 
			 2005-06 100 72 of 72 
			 2004-05 100 14 of 14 
			 2003-04 100 42 of 42 
			 2002-03 96 44 of 46 
			 2001-02 98 95 of 97 
		
	
	The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has answered 100 per cent. of the 186 named day questions received in the last five Sessions on time. Just four questions have received holding replies since the 2001-02 Session, and none in any of the last five Sessions.

World Squares for All Steering Group

Hugo Swire: To ask the Leader of the House what representations she has received on the work of the World Squares for All Steering Group; what  (a) political and  (b) official representation the House has on the group; what submissions have been made by the House to the group; and what discussions she has had with other Ministers about the group.

Helen Goodman: The World Squares for All Steering Group has been established under the leadership of the Greater London Authority and includes representatives from a range of affected interests. The group aims to redefine the heart of London—specifically Trafalgar square, Parliament square and the Whitehall conservation area. The latest stage of its work is the Parliament square improvement project.
	Representation of the House on the group is a matter for the administration of the House under the ultimate authority of the House of Commons Commission.
	Parliament is represented on the group by the parliamentary director of estates or a representative, and by the manager of Visitor and Public Information Projects. The House has no political representation on the group. Officials have received briefings from the architects, Hawkins Brown, and from Transport for London, and have consulted the Joint Committee on Security on security aspects of the plans. The Group on Information for the Public has submitted to the Parliament square improvement project a briefing on Parliament's priorities for the redevelopment of the square.
	The Administration Committee, chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran), has heard a presentation from representatives of the Parliament Square Improvement Project, who sought the advice of the Committee on how Members of Parliament could be consulted about the plans. At the Committee's request, the group will shortly write to all Members, before the start of wider public consultation.
	The Leader of the House has received no representations and has held no discussions on this issue.

WALES

Departmental Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many regulatory impact assessments his Department has conducted in the last 12 months.

Paul Murphy: None. The nature of the Wales Office's responsibilities means that such assessments will rarely be called for.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has not initiated or approved any private finance initiative projects in the last three years.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Paul Murphy: The total number of named day questions received by my department and answered substantially are listed as follows:
	
		
			   Total received  Substantive answer 
			 2001 59 54 
			 2002 80 55 
			 2003 34 18 
			 2004 19 16 
			 2005 17 16 
			 2006 27 27 
			 2007 24 24

Television Screens

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many plasma television screens have been purchased by his Department, and at what cost, in the last 24 months.

Paul Murphy: None.

DEFENCE

Surface Fleet

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on future orders for the surface fleet of the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We continue to make good progress on the future orders for the surface fleet of the Royal Navy. We have committed to ordering two new aircraft carriers and have placed orders for six Type 45 destroyers. It is our intention, in addition, to deliver replacement vessels in the future for Type 22 and 23 frigates, and elements of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Attack Submarines

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future number of attack submarines in the Royal Navy.

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of attack submarines for the Royal Navy.

Bob Ainsworth: Our judgment remains that in the medium term, a fleet of eight of the current classes of attack submarine will be sufficient to meet the full range of tasks. By 2022 we will have completed the transition to the more capable Astute class, for which it remains our plan to order seven boats. Over the next 14 years, attack submarine numbers will fluctuate between seven and eight as Astute replaces the current classes.

Watchkeeper

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when army training will start on the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle; and where in the UK it will take place.

Bob Ainsworth: We plan to begin classroom based training for the Watchkeeper programme in September next year at Larkhill, and live flying in March 2010 at Parc Aberporth in West Wales.

Armour

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether future armoured fighting vehicles purchased by his Department will have chassis armour and bolt-on armour.

Bob Ainsworth: A combination of base and bolt-on armour is likely to be used for most future armoured fighting vehicles. It allows us to reconfigure the armour solution to counter threats as they emerge, and to take advantage of the latest armour technologies.

Afghanistan

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the security conditions in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: The security situation in Afghanistan is stable if fragile in places. The Afghan National Army and troops from the 40-nation International Stabilisation Assistance Force are actively engaged in operations to maintain the pressure on the Taliban and extend the authority of the Government of Afghanistan.

Mental Health

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to work with the NHS in developing effective mental health care for service veterans.

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilot schemes he has established for the identification of veterans in need of mental health services and for the provision of such services.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made on the regional pilots to improve mental health care for veterans.

Derek Twigg: The MOD, the four UK health departments and Combat Stress have been working together with clinical experts and the Health and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS) to develop a new model of community-based veterans mental healthcare that will address assessment and treatment of veterans' mental health problems. Pilots have been launched in Staffordshire and Shropshire, Camden and Islington, Bishop Auckland and Cardiff Vale. These will be followed shortly by pilots in Lothian and Cornwall. Following two years of piloting and evaluation it is planned to roll the model out across the UK.

Future Rapid Effects System

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the future rapid effects system.

Bob Ainsworth: The Future Rapid Effect System is progressing well. We have selected the system of Systems Integrator, completed the Utility Vehicle design trials and issued a pre-Qualification Questionnaire for the Utility Vehicle Integrator in recent months. FRES is currently in its assessment phase and work on detailed requirements is continuing.

Devonport

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for Devonport naval base.

Bob Ainsworth: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in July 2007 at the conclusion of the Naval Base Review, the most effective means of supporting the Royal Navy is to retain all three naval bases, including Devonport.
	In doing so we will continue to work with industry to develop innovative programmes that deliver effective, efficient and sustainable support to the Royal Navy.

Deployment Strength

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the deployable strength is of the Army.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the deployable strength is of the Army.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 27 February 2008, the Army currently has 67,400 personnel within its deployable formations. 53,400 of these personnel are presently graded as deployable, with a further 7,600 personnel graded as being deployable in a limited range of roles. Non-deployable personnel will include those who are medically unfit and those filling key roles in support of families of those service personnel who are not deployed.
	Additionally there are elements of the Army that are deemed as being in non-deployable posts employed in essential roles often directly supporting operations within the training organisations, staff headquarters and the regional forces command structure.

Skill Force

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of initiatives in the city of Nottingham by Skill Force to use the talents of retired military personnel.

Des Browne: Skill Force is involved in the city of Nottingham helping difficult to reach young people during term-time through an alternative curriculum that includes team building and problem solving skills, leading to a variety of awards and qualifications. They are currently working in three Nottingham schools, but such has been their success that they hope to expand to cover five schools in the city from September of this year. As with the rest of the Skill Force project, they are making an extremely valuable contribution to efforts to tackle social exclusion among young people.

Health Care

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Health to ensure that GPs provide priority treatment to veterans.

Derek Twigg: The Health Secretary announced in November an extension of NHS priority treatment. From 1 January all veterans, not just war pensioners, should receive priority access to NHS secondary care for conditions which are related to their service. The Department of Health has issued guidance on the new provision. Defence and Health officials and the ex-Service organisations are now working together on communicating the new arrangement to GPs and the veterans' community and monitoring its effectiveness.

NATO Bucharest Summit

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the forthcoming NATO Bucharest summit.

Des Browne: The UK will look to the Bucharest summit to reaffirm NATO's solidarity and commitment to its operations and missions—particularly in Afghanistan, where we need to build on the success NATO has achieved to date, and agree a comprehensive plan for the future. We will want it to maintain momentum on capability developments and force generation, both for current operations and more widely. Heads of State and Government will consider membership invitations for those countries currently participating in Membership Action Plans.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which elements of the Afghanistan Combined Joint Statement of Requirements remain unfulfilled.

Des Browne: holding answer 22  February 2008
	Among other requirements, NATO currently needs more training and mentoring personnel, combat forces in the south and east of Afghanistan and key enablers, such as helicopters, to meet the Combined Joint Statement of Requirements for Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sea king helicopters are to be fitted with Carson blades; and how many of those helicopters with such blades will be deployed in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: We are fitting 14 Sea King HC4 helicopters with Carson blades. We have deployed a number of Sea King helicopters fitted with Carson blades to Afghanistan, and expect to deploy more later this year. I am withholding information on the exact number of helicopters deployed as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Armed Forces: EU Institutions

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel are attached to the  (a) European Union Military Staff,  (b) European Defence Agency,  (c) European Union Military Committee and  (d) other EU institutions.

Des Browne: 17 British military personnel are currently seconded to the EU Military Staff in Brussels, and there are two British military staff officers currently working in the European Defence Agency.
	The European Union Military Committee is a regular meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff or their representatives from the EU member states, not a standing EU structure. There is one British military officer who is seconded as the military adviser to the permanent Chairman of the EU Military Committee.
	There are no British military personnel seconded to other EU institutions.

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of  (a) single living and  (b) service family accommodation units in (i) Germany, (ii) Cyprus, (iii) Gibraltar and (iv) the Falklands Islands there were in each of the four charge grades at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Services Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA) in Germany, Cyprus, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands is at the following Grade for Charge (GfC).
	
		
			  SFA 
			   Grade 1  Grade 2  Grade 3  Grade 4 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Cyprus 0 — 504 27 140 8 1,589 65 
			 Gibraltar 82 17 66 14 90 19 239 50 
			 Falklands/ Ascension Islands 0 — 0 — 0 — 80 100 
			 Germany 2,212 17 6,010 47 3,481 27 1,149 9 
		
	
	
		
			  SLA 
			   Grade 1  Grade 2  Grade 3  Grade 4 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Germany 2,356 14 1,494 9 4,186 24 8,989 53 
			 Cyprus 67 4 14 1 534 36 882 59 
			 Falklands/ Ascension Islands 14 <1 0 — 0 — 6,105 >99 
			 Gibraltar 325 83 24 6 41 11 0 — 
		
	
	The low grade given to SLA in the South Atlantic Islands for example reflects the remote location and environmental factors rather than the actual condition of the accommodation which is considered reasonable. It should be noted that a large proportion of overseas SLA is only used during operational deployments. Although much of this accommodation is G4fC, residents are not charged for it.
	In Cyprus, some 650 bed-spaces will be upgraded by 2012 for use on a permanent basis. In addition, there are ongoing programmes of improvement work in all the above locations including the Hired Accommodation Revitalisation Programme project, which aims to replace or upgrade the entire hired estate in Germany over the next five years.
	Over the next decade the MOD will spend over £8 billion on accommodation, including some £3.1 billion on bringing accommodation up to the top condition. This will include the delivery of some further 30,000 new or improved SLA bed-spaces by 2013.

Checkmate

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the ability of Checkmate technology to improve the UK Network Centric Warfare capability; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 13 December 2005,  Official Report, column 1881W, to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth).

Civil Contingency Reaction Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the reservists who make up the operational capability of Civil Contingency Reaction Forces are on active duty overseas.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 1 March 2005,  Official Report, column 1137W, to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis).

Committee of Permanent Representatives

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1401W, on the Committee of Permanent Representatives, how many  (a) civilian and  (b) military personnel from his Department are part of the staff of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (i) I and (ii) II.

Des Browne: The Committee of Permanent Representatives does not have a dedicated staff.
	There are two MOD civilians working in the UK Permanent Representation to the EU on a national basis who for part of their time support the UK Permanent Representative on European security and defence policy matters considered in the Committee of Permanent Representatives II.
	There is no defence business that relates to the Committee of Permanent Representatives I.

Departmental Redundancy

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the consideration of one-fifth of defence intelligence staff posts in London for abolition;
	(2)  whether he has consulted the former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, John Morrison, about the potential impact of a one-fifth reduction in defence intelligence staff posts in London.

Bob Ainsworth: MOD is currently streamlining its Head Office as part of the Department's response to its capability review. The Defence intelligence staff fall within the remit of this streamlining programme.
	No Ministers have consulted Mr. Morrison. We will keep the wider intelligence and security community engaged as the work is taken forward.

Departments: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Defence Estate (Aldershot) billed in liability charges for charity events held on his Department's property since April 2005 to 2007.

Derek Twigg: The information requested will need to be collated and this will take a little time. I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Derek Twigg to Nick Harvey:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 3 September 2007, (Official Report, column 1617W) about the amount Defence Estates (Aldershot) was billed in liability charges for charity events held on his Department's property since 2005-2007.
	I apologise for the delay in writing to you following our meeting on 12 December, which was due to the time required to retrieve and review our available information. Unfortunately, the review has shown that it is not possible to separately identify liability charges for charity events.
	I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 37-38W, on EU defence policy, what his definition is of statute, seat and operational rules; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: We understand the statute, seat and operational rules of the European Defence Agency as described in the Lisbon treaty to be the instrument setting up the European Defence Agency, its headquarters and the rules under which it operates.

EU Defence Policy: Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with European Defence Ministers on the financing of EU military operations under the Athena Mechanism at the recent meeting in Brdo, Slovenia; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Athena Mechanism ensures that EU member states pay an equitable share of common costs for agreed EU military operations. This mechanism was not discussed at the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers held in Brdo, Slovenia on 21-22 February 2008.

Future Large Aircraft: Procurement

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any changes to the number of A400M aircraft to be ordered.

Bob Ainsworth: No.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of  (a) combat and  (b) peacekeeping operations in Iraq in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Combat activities commenced on 20 March 2003 and ceased on 1 May 2003 spanning two financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04 totalling £2,158 million. All subsequent years are categorised as peacekeeping operations.
	The costs of operations are calculated on a net additional basis and audited figures are published each year in the MOD' Annual Report and Accounts. The total annual costs of operations in Iraq for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07 including the cost of combat activities are in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Operations in Iraq  Expenditure on capital equipment  Total 
			 2002-03 629 218 847 
			 2003-04 1,051 260 1,311 
			 2004-05 747 163 910 
			 2005-06 798 160 958 
			 2006-07 787 169 956 
			 Grand total   4,982 
		
	
	An estimated cost of £1,648 million for 2007-08 was included in the Spring Supplementary Estimates published in February, which is due to be voted on by Parliament shortly.

Iraq: Resettlement

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the number of Iraqi citizens formerly employed by the Ministry of Defence expected to apply for  (a) the UK Gateway scheme and  (b) indefinite leave to enter on an exceptional basis outside the Immigration Rules in 2008-09.

Des Browne: holding answer 28 February 2008
	We estimate that there are approximately 400 former members of staff who are eligible for the LECs assistance scheme. Around half of those already assessed as eligible and who have informed us of their preferred form of assistance, have opted for the Gateway scheme.
	Staff who left MOD's employment prior to 8 August 2007 are not eligible for indefinite leave to enter the UK on an exceptional basis. Seven current staff members made redundant since 8 August 2007 have chosen this option.

Iraq: Resettlement

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much financial support the Government paid to Iraqi citizens formerly employed by the Ministry of Defence awaiting resettlement under the UK Gateway programme in third countries in each month since October 2007; and how many Iraqi citizens formerly employed by the Ministry of Defence have received financial support whilst awaiting resettlement.

Des Browne: holding answer 28 February 2008
	No financial assistance has yet been paid to former staff members seeking resettlement to the UK under the Gateway programme. The focus of our effort has been on assessing the eligibility of those applying to the scheme from within Iraq, and on undertaking the necessary security checks on those seeking resettlement. The first tranche of this work is now largely complete, and we expect that a significant number of former Ministry of Defence employees and their dependents (in excess of 100 individuals) will soon leave Iraq for a third country for assessment under the Gateway programme. Financial assistance will be paid to these individuals, as well as to any eligible former employees who have already left Iraq, in the coming weeks.
	As of 21 February, the Ministry of Defence has paid over $450,000 to former staff members who opted for the financial package of assistance.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 24 January, on low flying aircrafts (reference: MC00711/2008).

Derek Twigg: I replied to the hon. Member on 28 February 2008.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying hours helicopters can undertake before they must be taken out of service, broken down by type of helicopter.

Bob Ainsworth: Different helicopter types have differing Structural Integrity design philosophies. They do not all have a set number of flying hours before they must be taken out of service as indicated in the following table.
	
		
			  Aircraft type  Finite life—designed fatigue life-flying hours 
			 Agusta A109A/AM No 
			 Attack Helicopter Yes—9,000 hours 
			 Chinook Mk2/2a No 
			 Gazelle Yes—15,000 hours 
			 Lynx Mk3, Mk7, Mk8, Mk9 Yes—7,000 hours 
			 Merlin Mk1 and Mk3 Yes—10,000 hours 
			 Puma HC1 No 
			 Sea King Mk3/3a, Mk4, Mk5 Mk6c, Mk7 No 
		
	
	The structural integrity of airframes is assured by regular maintenance and replacement of fatigue-sensitive components after a set period of use. In all cases, the maintenance policy and lives of key components are regularly reviewed to ensure it supports the safe operation of the aircraft. Helicopters with designed fatigue lives can fly beyond the design life when specific actions are taken. Actions may include the replacement of significant structural items and the instigation of enhanced inspections and maintenance.

Nimrod Aircraft: Procurement

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any changes to the number of Nimrod MRA4 aircraft to be ordered.

Bob Ainsworth: No.

Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries provided the requirement for NATO's Operational Reserve Force in each year since 2001; and which countries will provide the requirement until 2010.

Des Browne: During this period, there was an Operational Reserve Force for ISAF from August to December 2006 which was provided by Romania.
	For the Balkans, the reserve was called the Over the Horizon Force until mid-2002 with the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the US all contributing battalions. Since mid-2002, the Operational Reserve Force has comprised three battalions provided by the UK, Germany and Italy.
	As commitments to the Operational Reserve Force are made on an annual basis, there is no programmed rota for 2009-10.

Reserve Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservist personnel were deployed overseas at the most recently available date, broken down by  (a) location and  (b) service.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 31 January 2008, the number of volunteer reservists deployed on operations was:
	
		
			  Number 
			   Royal Navy Reserve  Royal Marines Reserve  Territorial Army  Royal Auxiliary Air Force 
			 TELIC (Iraq) 44 0 124 30 
			 HERRICK (Afghanistan) 10 77 528 17 
			 TOSCA (Cyprus) 0 0 2 0 
			 OCULUS (Balkans) 1 0 16 0 
			 Global Counter Terrorism 1 0 12 0 
			 Total: 56 77 682 47 
		
	
	There were also 616 other reservists undergoing pre-deployment training, receiving medical treatment, or on post operational leave, and in addition 41 sponsored reserves involved in operations but who are not necessarily permanently based in an operational theatre.

Spearhead Land Element

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units forms the Spearhead Land Element (SLE); whether it is fully equipped; whether the SLE is deployed; and when the future SLE will take over.

Bob Ainsworth: The Second Battalion The Royal Gurkha Regiment forms the Spearhead Land Element (SLE), which is not currently deployed. The SLE is currently fully equipped in accordance with the joint rapid reaction force directive and operational mounting instructions. The next SLE will be provided by the Second Battalion The Rifles, who will assume this role from 30 March 2008.

Type 45 Destroyers

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any changes to the planned in-service dates of Type 45 Destroyers.

Bob Ainsworth: No.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carers' Allowances

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the earnings limit for carer's allowance was last increased.

Anne McGuire: The earnings limit for carer's allowance was last increased in October 2007. Recipients of carer's allowance can now earn up to £95 a week after deduction of allowable expenses.

Child Support: Administration

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on what basis the decision not to initially migrate existing cases onto the new child support system was made; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when all child support cases will have been transferred to the new child support system.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 226W, to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown).

Delivery Notices

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the letter of 28 January 2008 from the Minister of State for Pensions to the hon. Member for Northavon, if he will place in the Library a copy of the departmental leaflets issued after 2001 which stated that people would be advised about delivery notices by letter.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The relevant extracts from documents NP46 and N17A have been placed in the Library.

Employment: Prisoners Release

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what Government assistance is provided for prisoners to secure work on release from prison; and what changes in types of support have been made since 1992.

James Plaskitt: Jobcentre plus offers extensive help to those leaving prison. The following have all been introduced since 1992.
	Employment and Benefit Surgeries—In prison-based Employment and Benefit Surgeries, Jobcentre Plus advisers work in co-operation with the Prison Service and other agency staff to address the key employment and benefit needs of prison inmates during both the entry and pre-release stages of their period in custody.
	New Deal—Offenders are entitled to early entry, from day one of their claim, to the new deals, including the New Deal for Young People, which applies to 18 to 24-year-olds, thereby giving them access to help with finding a job and dealing with their barriers to employment.
	Freshstart—Freshstart involves pre-arranging a new jobseeker interview to claim benefit (jobseeker's allowance) at the prisoner's home Jobcentre Plus office, on release. As well as speeding up the process for receiving benefit, the individual is exposed at the earliest opportunity to jobs and the prospect of engaging with mainstream provision, to which, in most cases, they will have early entry status. Last year 35,000 interviews were booked
	Rapid Reclaim Process—Jobcentre Plus also operate a "Rapid Reclaim Process" for jobseeker's allowance, income support and incapacity benefit (employment support allowance also when introduced). This service is available if a short-term prisoner reclaims within 13 weeks of their last claim and circumstances have not changed. There are simpler and shorter forms and the processing of the benefit is easier.
	Progress2work and progress2workLinkUP—Special programmes aimed at helping clients with drug misuse, the homeless, ex-offenders, and alcohol misusers deal with the particular barriers to work that they face. Both programmes are run by specialist providers who have established expertise in dealing with the issues faced by these client groups. Progress2work is a national programme; progress2workLinkUP is in almost half of Jobcentre Plus districts.
	Early Custody Licence—DWP shared services administer grants on behalf of the Ministry of Justice for those released on early custody licence.
	Exit to Work—Exit to Work is an action-research project trailing a new way of engaging employers and moving ex-offenders into work. The project is being managed by Working Ventures UK in collaboration with DWP, Jobcentre Plus, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Ministry of Justice. Exit to Work takes a two-pronged approach to tackling employment and skills-related issues for offenders:
	a network of seven Job Developers (across Birmingham, London, Manchester, Merseyside, Teesside, and South Yorkshire) whose role is to be a single point of contact for the employer, to help them understand the benefits of recruiting ex-offenders and how to mitigate the risks and to orchestrate the range of support available to provide the employer with a seamless package; and
	managing an information and vacancy sharing website, which allows CVs of ex-offenders to be uploaded, evaluated, and accessed on behalf of potential employers.
	Jobcentre Plus engages with young offenders both in custody and in the community. Dependant upon the customer's age, a range of support becomes available.
	Young offenders in custody have access to employment and benefit surgery advisers and can get employment and training advice as well as Freshstart appointments upon release to claim jobseeker's allowance.
	At age 18 offenders released from custody and community sentenced offenders have early entry to New Deal and access to specialist help via progress2work and Progress2work Link Up. Advisers regularly review activity and job search efforts and on a longer term basis, customers have to undertake mandatory activities such as New Deal for Young People. New Deal for young People has now been in operation for over 10 years and has helped thousands of young offenders to enter work and training.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Department's publication, Ready for Work, what forecast he has made of the likely number of lone parents claiming income support in each quarter to 2011, broken down by  (a) region,  (b) ethnicity and  (c) family size; and what assessment he has made of the effect on these numbers on changes in his Department's spending on (i) benefits and (ii) benefit administration.

Stephen Timms: The full information requested is not available. The Impact Assessment published alongside the publication "Ready for Work" presented our current estimates of the impact of the proposals on benefit case loads and costs.

Pensioners: Aberavon

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there were in Aberavon constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: As at May 2007, there were 13,540 recipients of state pension in the Aberavon parliamentary constituency.
	 Note :
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of people who were not sent a letter from his Department in 2004-05 in connection with the deficiency notices exercise who would have been sent such a letter but for the fact that the then Inland Revenue had ceased sending them deficiency notices prior to 1996-97; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 724W, on pensions, how the target group of 632,000 was defined; and which categories of pensioners in the target group were not sent letters.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer s 22 November 2007 and 25 January 2008
	In total, we estimate that around one million people(1) who reached state pension age between 6 April 1998 and 23 October 2004:
	(a) were not entitled to a full basic pension on their own contributions; and
	(b) had a deficient contribution record in one or more of the years 1996-97 to 2001-02.
	Of these, 632,000 who were resident in the UK satisfied the conditions for receiving a deficiency notice. In addition, a further 40,000 pensioners who were resident overseas satisfied the conditions. This group, including those overseas, was defined as the target group.
	However, only those people in the target group who could improve their ongoing pension entitlement were contacted and thus excluded:
	(i) people already receiving a full basic pension derived wholly or in part from their former spouse's contributions; and
	(ii) married women already receiving a pension derived wholly or in part from their husband's contributions who could not improve their ongoing overall pension entitlements by paying additional contributions.
	Of the remaining approximately 350,000(2), it is not possible to readily identify those who could improve their ongoing pension entitlement.
	Pursuant to my written answers of 1 October 2007,  Official Report, column 2376W, and 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 724W, the figure of 470,000 referred to in these answers related to the total number of pensioners contacted regarding deficiencies in their contribution records and included around 55,000 who had already paid contributions. The figure of 414,427 pensioners automatically contacted by the Pension Service during the period September 2004 to September 2005 quoted at page 197 of the Department's Resource Accounts for 2006-07 relates to the number of pensioners who were informed of deficiencies in their contribution records in that period. No further deficiency notice letters were automatically issued by the Pension Service after the end of September 2005.
	Pursuant to my written answer of 1 October 2007,  Official Report, column 2376W, the response rate of 62 per cent. quoted was incorrect. It was calculated by reference to a total figure of 470,000 letters issued and the 290,000 customers contacts referred to in the answer. However, it has subsequently become apparent that the figure of 290,000 comprises contacts from individuals who had received an automatic deficiency notice and those who had not. It is not possible to disaggregate the figure of 290,000 to separately identify contacts by people who had received an automatic deficiency notice. Similarly, it is not possible to disaggregate the figure of 69,249 individuals who have made additional contributions. Therefore the figure of 24 per cent. relating to the proportion of respondents who made additional contributions is also incorrect.
	(1) Source: Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2003-04.
	(2) Figure rounded to the nearest 50,000.

Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of people who will receive pension forecasts in 2008.

Mike O'Brien: The Pension Service issues an individual pension forecast when a customer request is made via the e-service channel, over the phone or on completion of form BR19.
	Based on the number of requests received in 2007, we anticipate that around 300,000 individuals will receive an individual pension forecast in 2008.
	Due to IT changes which need to be made as a result of the Pensions Act 2007, the Pension Service is temporarily unable to provide an individual pension forecast to customers who reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2010.
	To help them plan for retirement, the Pension Service is able to offer these customers personalised information on potential state pension entitlement, based on the pension qualifying years they have from their national insurance record. Around 125,000 customers have benefited from this service. The Pension Service expects full forecasting services will be available in spring 2008.

Pensions: Taxation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the additional costs in  (a) benefit payments and  (b) administration that would be incurred as a result of HM Revenue and Custom's proposals to tax small pensions retrospectively for the year 2007-08.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Polygamy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the payment of benefit to families in polygamous marriages; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 756W.

Social Security Benefits: Prisoners Release

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many ex-prisoners of working age were claiming  (a) income support,  (b) incapacity benefit,  (c) jobseeker's allowance and  (d) another working age benefit (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months after being released from prison in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

State Retirement Pensions: Anniversaries

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration his Department has given to the erection of a memorial to celebrate the centenary of pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have no plans to erect a memorial.
	We plan to mark the centenary of the introduction of the state pension as a key element of the celebrations around the second UK Older People's Day in October 2008.

Winter Fuel Payments: West Midlands

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a winter fuel payment in  (a) Warley constituency and  (b) Sandwell Metropolitan borough council area in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: In winter 2006-07, 14,080 people in the Warley constituency and 54,360 people in Sandwell metropolitan borough council received a winter fuel payment. We expect the numbers to be similar for this winter.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	 Source:
	Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine Tuberculosis: Devon

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department has received from Milk Link on cases of suspected bovine tuberculosis in Devon; how many such cases were reported by Milk Link in each of the last three years; and what steps his Department has taken as a result.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 February 2008
	Responsibility for reporting suspected cases of bovine tuberculosis rests with veterinary surgeons (on farms) and meat hygiene service inspectors (at slaughterhouses).
	Therefore, no suspected cases of bovine tuberculosis have been reported to my Department by Milk Link, which I understand, is a milk wholesaler business.

Energy: Conservation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on the proposed implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive for boilers being outside the scope of the Directive.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA officials regularly meet and have discussions at EU level, including on energy efficient products, and have held formal and informal meetings with the Commission on the Energy Using Products Directive.
	The Commission is currently analysing responses from the boiler and water heater industry on its proposals for implementation of the Energy Using Products Directive. DEFRA officials are due to attend a Consultation Forum (comprising the Commission, European Trade Associations and other member state representatives) on the directive on 29 February 2008.

Energy: Conservation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will meet representatives of the controls industry to discuss their proposal for the creation of a separate standard for controls rather than the bundled approach proposed in the energy-using products directive;
	(2)  what assessment the Government have made of the consequences Lot 1 of the energy-using products directive will have on the UK heating controls industry;
	(3)  whether the Government have considered using industry expertise to work with the European Commission to produce a separate standard for heating controls rather than including them with boilers as outlined in the energy using products directive.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA officials have invited key stakeholders, including members of the boiler and water heater industry, to discuss implementation of the energy using products directive and raise any concerns on implications for the UK. The Commission is currently analysing responses from the industry and the alternative proposals it has put forward.
	The Government's market transformation programme is currently assessing the full range of possible impacts of implementation of the energy using products directive, based on the Commission's current proposals.
	DEFRA officials will also shortly be attending meetings with the European trade associations in order to learn more about the issues the boiler and heating industry face across Europe.
	Heating controls play an important role in improving the efficiency of heating systems and the Government have recently published a consultation paper setting out indicative standards for better use of existing controls and advanced controls for domestic heating. A copy of the consultation document is available on DEFRA's website.

Energy: Conservation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position his officials will be taking on the Energy-using Products Directive at the Implementing Measure Consulting Forum on 29 February.

Joan Ruddock: The Government generally see Consultation Forum meetings as an opportunity for industry to let the Commission know of their concerns directly. The Government are aware that the industry has raised significant concerns about these proposals and DEFRA officials are assessing the feedback we have received, with a view to relaying these concerns to the Commission at the Consultation Forum meeting on 29 February 2008.

Energy: Conservation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department has given to the report produced by the consultancy commissioned by the European Commission to write a preparatory study for the Energy-using Products Directive.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA officials are aware of the report, produced by the consultancy VHK on behalf of the Commission, on implementation of the Energy Using Products Directive.
	The Government's Market Transformation Programme is currently assessing its recommendations and assumptions.

Energy: Conservation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the Energy Using Products Directive ensures the maximum potential carbon savings of heating controls are realised.

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to maximise the carbon reduction impact of the energy-using products directive, with reference to heating controls;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to take account of the potential effects of the energy-using products directive in developing the proposed strategy for developing the market for advanced heating controls in new and existing homes.

Joan Ruddock: The Government are committed to raising product efficiency. We are working with key stakeholders from the boiler and water heater industry and the European Commission to develop proposals which will maximise the standards and efficiency of products covered by the energy using products directive.
	Heating controls play an important role in improving the efficiency of heating systems and the Government have recently published a consultation paper setting out indicative standards for better use of existing controls and advanced controls for domestic heating. A copy of the consultation document is available on the DEFRA website.

Energy: Conservation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration the Government have given to the development of a discrete standard for heating controls under the Energy-using Products Directive; and if he will establish a working group including industry experts to examine this matter.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA officials have held a range of meetings with key stakeholders, including members of the boiler and water heater industry, to present the Commission proposals and discuss concerns on implementing the energy using products directive in the UK. The Commission and DEFRA officials are currently analysing responses from the industry and the alternative proposals it has put forward.
	Heating controls play an important role in improving the efficiency of heating systems and the Government have recently published a consultation paper setting out indicative standards for better use of existing controls and advanced controls for domestic heating. A copy of the consultation document is available on the DEFRA website.

Energy: Conservation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what account the Government has taken of the potential electrical and electronic waste arising after 2013 in its consideration of the implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive in relation to supply system bundles;
	(2)  what estimates he has  (a) made and  (b) evaluated on the potential effect of the Energy-using Products Directive on the UK boiler industry; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's Market Transformation Programme is currently assessing the full range of possible impacts of the implementation of the energy-using products directive, based on the Commission's current proposals.
	Officials are due to attend a meeting of the Consultation Forum (comprising the Commission, European Trade Associations and other member state representatives) to discuss the Commission's proposals on boilers and water heaters on 29 February.

Energy: Conservation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet representatives of the heating controls industry to discuss the creation of a separate standard for controls, with reference to the implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA officials have held a number of meetings with key members of the boiler and water heater industry to present the Commission proposals under the energy-using products framework directive and to discuss the implications of these for UK industry. DEFRA officials are currently analysing responses from the industry and the alternative proposals it has put forward.
	DEFRA officials will shortly be attending meetings with the European Trade Associations in order to learn more about the issues this industry faces across Europe.

Energy: Conservation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on the scope of the Energy-using Products Directive as it relates to boilers.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA officials regularly meet and have discussions at EU level, including on energy efficient products, and have held a number of meetings with the Commission on the energy-using products directive, including an informal meeting on the Commission's proposed implementing measure on boilers and water heaters.
	The Commission is currently analysing responses from the boiler and water heater industry on its proposals for boilers and water heaters. DEFRA officials are due to attend a Consultation Forum (comprising the Commission, European Trade Associations and other member state representatives) on these proposals on 29 February.

Energy: Fees and Charges

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to cap transmission charges if Ofgem implements a new payment system based on generator distance from population centres.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	In the GB electricity market, Transmission Network Use of System Charges (TNUOS) are already charged on a cost-reflective locational basis, such that generators furthest from centres of demand pay a higher charge to reflect the additional transmission network costs. Ofgem are considering whether such arrangements should also apply to transmission loss charges, which currently do not vary by location.
	The Government has no intention of capping these charges for the generality of users. However, section 185 of the Electricity Act 2004 gives the Secretary of State the power to adjust such charges in an area which has high potential for the development of renewable generation and where the charges would otherwise be a material hindrance to that development. The Government has said that it intends to exercise this power for the Scottish islands, subject to the statutory tests set out in section 185 being met. In particular, the Government would need to be satisfied that the level of transmission charges in the absence of a scheme constitutes a material hindrance to the development of renewable generation in those locations.

Incinerators: Hazardous Substances

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when consultations have taken place with incinerator operators on an eco-toxity test for incinerator bottom ash;
	(2)  what testing his Department has commissioned of the toxicity of incinerator bottom ash;
	(3)  what consultation he plans on the testing regime for incinerator bottom ash;
	(4)  what the timetable is for the introduction of the new test of toxicity for incinerator bottom ash.

Joan Ruddock: I understand that the waste industry is taking forward an initiative to identify a protocol for the ecotoxicity testing of Incineration Bottom Ash (IBA). The initiative will use a direct testing method on IBA, where the validity of classification results from the desktop method remains uncertain. This uncertainty arises because of the potential for ecotoxic metal substances in IBA to exist as the metal or other non-ecotoxic form; something that the desktop analytical method cannot determine.
	DEFRA and the Environment Agency support this initiative, considering that the classification of IBA will remain "non-hazardous" pending the results of the direct testing.
	The Environment Agency will review this decision when results from direct testing have been provided. No consultation is planned by my Department on this issue.

Lymington River: Repairs and Maintenance

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the timetable is within which the Marine and Fisheries Agency plans to determine the application by Wightlink for shore works on the Lymington river; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the Marine and Fisheries Agency plans to consult when making an appropriate assessment on shore works to accommodate larger ferries in the Lymington river under the provisions of the Habitat Directive.

Jonathan R Shaw: In July 2007, Wightlink applied to the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) for a licence to undertake modification works to piles, fendering and linkspan bridges comprising parts of the ferry terminals at both Lymington and Yarmouth. The MFA's controls under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) and the Coast Protection Act 1994 (CPA) only apply to the works proposed seawards of Mean High Water Spring Tide line (i.e. only including the foreshore).
	Permissions related to the works have also been sought from other regulators, including the respective local authorities, the Environment Agency, and the Lymington and Yarmouth harbour authorities.
	In progressing the FEPA and CPA applications, the MFA is working with these regulators to address the need for more environmental data. The MFA have taken the view that the intended works should be subject to 'Appropriate Assessment' in compliance with the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994, which should also have regard to the potential effects on nature conservation that may arise from the operation of the proposed larger ferry vessels.
	A meeting was convened in January with the other regulators and Natural England to clarify what statutory responsibilities applied to the various elements of the project and how their possible effects were to be assessed. A subsequent meeting was held with Wightlink, primarily to discuss what additional data regulators and their advisers considered necessary.
	Wightlink also met separately with Natural England to clarify what further information would be needed to support an appropriate assessment, and they have commissioned marine consultants to prepare a report that will be submitted to each of the regulators. Lymington Harbour Commissioners have also set in train arrangements to monitor the hydrodynamic effects of the existing ferries as basis for considering any constraints that may be necessary, for health and safety reasons, to the operation of the new vessels.
	In determining their respective applications, regulators will individually and jointly, make an assessment of the additional data in so far as it applies to their responsibilities. This will enable them to determine the extent of any adverse risk to protected conservation sites, whether any mitigation is required and, if so, how this can be ensured.
	As the consultation process raised no concerns in respect of only those elements of the works proposed at Yarmouth, Wightlink made a further application to the MFA earlier this month in respect of those works. This application has been determined and a FEPA Licence and CPA consent were granted on 21 February.

Peregrine Falcons

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many convictions there have been for offences involving wild-taken peregrine falcons since 1981; and what effect the introduction of DNA testing of birds in 1992 has had on the number of such offences.

Joan Ruddock: Records of offences and convictions do not distinguish between species. DNA testing techniques have provided a useful additional investigative tool for wildlife law enforcers, but it is not possible to measure their effect on the number of such offences.

Warm Zones Programme: North East

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households have had roof and wall installations under the Warm Zone scheme in  (a) Stockton South,  (b) Teesside and  (c) the North East.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Households fitted with cavity wall insulation under the warm front scheme  Households fitted with loft insulation under the warm front scheme 
			 Stockton South 1,287 1,368 
			 Teesside(1) 9,094 10,918 
			 North East 58,260 54,369 
			 (1) Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough South and Cleveland East, Redcar, Stockton North and Stockton South.

Waste Disposal: Electronic Equipment

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by small businesses as a consequence of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	A full regulatory impact assessment was published alongside the UK WEEE regulations. There are no derogations for small businesses to be excluded from the scope of the WEEE directive. The UK WEEE regulations ensure that small businesses are not disproportionately affected and both the registration fees for producers and distributors are scaled according to company size.

Waste Disposal: Small Businesses

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the WRAP SME recycling programme on increasing the rate of recycling waste since it was established; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The aim of WRAP's SME recycling programme was, through a series of trials, to increase and improve recycling services for small to medium enterprises. These businesses can find it difficult to access appropriate recycling services for the waste they generate for a variety of reasons; for instance, because they lack the internal resources needed to establish and manage a recycling scheme, and because individual SMEs generate relatively small quantities of waste.
	WRAP's programme has involved a range of feasibility and demonstration trials to develop appropriate recycling services, charging mechanisms, sales and marketing approaches and advice on staff involvement in recycling. The overall aim was to make recycling at work easy, convenient and cost-effective. A number of deliverables were measured for these trials, related to developing economic models for collection and good practice guidance for recycling service providers.
	WRAP's activities formed a research, rather than a delivery programme. Therefore, impact in tonnage terms was not the primary purpose. Early figures indicate that over 3,000 SMEs were recruited to recycling services. However, it is important to recognise that the key performance indicators for this programme revolved around information relating to how businesses could be recruited to recycling, what systems worked for them, what charging regimes could be employed and what collection frequencies are appropriate to make recycling more attractive to SMEs. The findings from the trials will be made available through Good Practice Guidance and Executive Summaries. These will be available on WRAP's website. The programme will be subject to a full evaluation at the end of this financial year, and the results will be published in WRAP's next annual review.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Broadcasting: Radio

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions have taken place with RTE on the effect on listeners in Northern Ireland of the removal of FM radio band from the end of March 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The decision to switch off medium wave transmission of RTE Radio 1 is a matter for RTE and the Irish broadcasting authorities. I understand that RTE Radio 1 will remain available to listeners in Northern Ireland on FM and Long Wave (LW) bands and also on a variety of other platforms such as satellite television and the internet.

Crime: Cannabis

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much time the Police Service of Northern Ireland spent on work to tackle the illegal production and distribution of cannabis in each of the last two years.

Paul Goggins: PSNI do not record police time specifically spent on tackling the illegal production and distribution of cannabis.
	PSNI activity against drug crime focuses on the most significant criminal individuals and groups engaged in drug trafficking and supply.

Departmental Property

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what property was lost or stolen from his Department since 1997; and what the cost of replacement was in each case.

Shaun Woodward: The following table shows the property which has been lost or stolen from the Northern Ireland Office (excluding its Agencies and NDPBs) since 1997.
	
		
			  To 31 December  Lost  Stolen 
			 1997 No Records Available No records available 
			 1998 None 1 x Laptop 
			 1999 None 1 x Camcorder 1 x Laptop 
			 2000 None None 
			 2001 7 x Mobile Telephones 1 x Mobile Telephone 1 x Laptop 
			 2002 2 x Mobile Telephones 1 x Personal Digital Assistant 
			 2003 2 x Mobile Telephones None 
			 2004 None 3 x Mobile Telephones 1 x Laptop 
			 2005 2 x Mobile Telephones 1 x Mobile Telephone 1 x Personal Digital Assistant 
			 2006 2 x Mobile Telephones 1 x Laptop 
			 2007 5 x Mobile Telephones 1 x Mobile Telephone 2 x Laptops 
			 2008 to date None None

Departmental Sick Pay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The total statutory sick pay (SSP) paid to employees in 2006-07 was £168,478, however SSP covers only a small proportion of the cost of sickness absence, as the Department also has an occupational sickness pay scheme, the costs of which cannot be isolated out from the overall payroll costs.
	We receive a statistical analysis based on average salaries, grade, and days lost, which estimated the cost to the Department for 2006-07 at £1.7 million. This figure excludes the NI Prison Service and the Department's NDPBs.
	The Northern Ireland Office takes the management of sickness absence very seriously and has robust policies and procedures in place to deal with inefficiency which results from poor attendance. The health and safety of everyone in the Department is of paramount importance; we have a duty of care to help prevent staff becoming ill and to support them when they are.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Shaun Woodward: In the Northern Ireland Office's travel budgets, expenditure relating to journeys within and outside the UK are included together.
	These figures are based on calendar year rather than financial year and cannot therefore be compared with the figures shown in the travel budgets. The following table shows the overseas travel costs from April 2004 to December 2007:
	
		
			   Total costs  (£) 
			 April to December 2004 85,013 
			 January to December 2005 184,055 
			 January to December 2006 131,907 
			 January to December 2007 80,889 
		
	
	Expenditure for travel in the NIO is held for the current financial year to date plus the previous five financial years. The following table provides details of the NIO's total travel expenditure (excluding agencies and NDPBs) and compares this against the total departmental expenditure (excluding agencies and NDPBs) in each year since 2002-03:
	
		
			   Total travel expenditure (£)  Percentage of travel expenditure against departmental expenditure 
			 2002-03 4,238,875 0.463 
			 2003-04 4,354,144 0.492 
			 2004-05 4,140,237 0.442 
			 2005-06 4,248,807 0.387 
			 2006-07 4,996,164 0.477 
			 Total 21,978,227 0.450 
		
	
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Shaun Woodward: The number of visits is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	My Department has recorded the cost of overseas travel by air and rail from April 2004 to December 2007. The countries visited include the USA, Republic of Ireland and other European countries. This information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Total costs  (£) 
			 April to December 2004 85,013 
			 January to December 2005 184,055 
			 January to December 2006 131,907 
			 January to December 2007 80,889 
		
	
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with departmental rules.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Shaun Woodward: Electronic records are only available from 18 May 2005 onwards. To obtain the information requested prior to this date would involve an extensive manual trawl of records which could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	The following table provides the information that is available.
	
		
			 Holding answers issued  Substantive answers issued 
			   Total number of PQs received( 1)  Total number of named day questions  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 18 May 2005 to end 2005 2,846 363 168 46 195 54 
			 2006 4,023 617 377 61 240 39 
			 2007(2) 1,421 220 105 48 115 52 
			 2008 up to 22 February 2008 146 21 5 24 16 76 
			 (1) Inclusive of transfers and withdrawals. (2) Reduction in the overall number of PQs received due to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly (8 May 2007).

Employment Agencies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1145W, on employment agencies, which recruitment agencies his Department has used in each year since 1998; and how much each agency was paid in each year.

Shaun Woodward: The following table shows how much the Northern Ireland Office (excluding its Agencies, NDPBs and Public Inquiries) spent on recruitment agencies in each financial year since 1998-99. These figures include both the costs for appointing staff to the department and the salaries paid to these temporary staff members.
	
		
			  Recruitment Agencies used  Recruitment Agencies costs (£) 
			  1998-99  
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 27,051 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 21,878 
			 Lynn Recruitment 2,421 
			 Total 51,350 
			   
			  1999-2000  
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 35,190 
			 Grafton Recruitment 1,594 
			 Lynn Recruitment 428 
			 Total 37,212 
			   
			  2000-01  
			 Diamond Recruitment 6,997 
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 29,466 
			 Grafton Recruitment 445 
			 Total 36,908 
			   
			  2001-02  
			 Diamond Recruitment 11,649 
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 28,029 
			 Total 39,678 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 Diamond Recruitment 3,438 
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 25,543 
			 Grafton Recruitment 4,967 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 32,322 
			 Tim Lewis Recruitment Ltd. 15,074 
			 Total 81,344 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Diamond Recruitment 9,700 
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 24,915 
			 Grafton Recruitment 32,432 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 31,518 
			 Select Recruitment 1,318 
			 Total 99,883 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Diamond Recruitment 14,812 
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 14,473 
			 Grafton Recruitment 31,740 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 29,993 
			 Tim Lewis Recruitment Ltd. 6,553 
			 Select Recruitment 23,783 
			 Total 121,354 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 2,404 
			 Diamond Recruitment 10,555 
			 Grafton Recruitment 76,451 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 31,992 
			 Tim Lewis Recruitment Ltd. 5,512 
			 Select Recruitment 9,389 
			 Total 136,303 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 913 
			 Diamond Recruitment 10,333 
			 Grafton Recruitment 112,394 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 43,846 
			 Tim Lewis Recruitment Ltd. 1,522 
			 Total 169,008

Inquiries

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the costs to date have been of the inquiries into  (a) Bloody Sunday,  (b) Robert Hamill death,  (c) Rosemary Nelson's death,  (d) Pat Finucane's death and  (e) Billy Wright's death.

Shaun Woodward: The costs to the end of January 2008 for the inquiries are as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (£ million) 
			 The Bloody Sunday inquiry 181.4 
			 The Robert Hamill inquiry 13.0 
			 The Rosemary Nelson inquiry 24.5 
			 The Billy Wright inquiry 13.2 
		
	
	An inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane has not yet been established.
	The Wright and Hamill inquiries are operating under the Inquiries Act 2005. The Nelson inquiry is operating under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. The Bloody Sunday inquiry is operating under the Tribunals Act 1921.

Prisoners: Education

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners detained in Northern Ireland have  (a) applied for and  (b) received student loans in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: I am advised that no prisoners have applied for student loans in the last five years.

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the level of the vice trade in Northern Ireland in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The true extent of the vice trade is very difficult to quantify, particularly as brothels tend to operate in one location for a short period of time before moving to avoid the attention of local police. The PSNI are taking part in Operation Pentameter 2, a UK-wide operation against human trafficking, which will improve our understanding of the scale of human trafficking and the illegal sex trade in Northern Ireland. In 2005 (the latest year for which data are available), three people were prosecuted and convicted in Northern Ireland for brothel-keeping.
	As well as impacting on individuals, prostitution causes real problems for communities. In recent months, therefore, police have mounted three investigations where controlling prostitution was suspected. A file has been sent to the Public Prosecution Service, and €15,000 was seized under the proceeds of crime legislation.
	In response to community concerns, I intend to include extension of the offence of kerb crawling to Northern Ireland, and a new offence relating to soliciting, in the draft Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order on which I have recently been consulting.

Terrorism

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the anti-terrorist operation against associates of the Real IRA in Vilnius, overseen by the Lithuanian authorities, Garda Siochana, PSNI, British Intelligence Agencies and Interpol, which resulted in the arrest of Michael Campbell.

Paul Goggins: It would not be appropriate to comment on anti-terrorist operations or who may be involved in them. The prosecution of the individual referred to is a matter for the prosecuting authorities in Lithuania.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to answer question  (a) 181598 and  (b) 181530, on departmental travel, tabled on 21 January 2008 by the hon. Member for Taunton; and what the reason for the time taken to respond is.

Shaun Woodward: Questions  (a) 181598 and  (b) 181530 were both answered today.
	Each of these questions requested details of departmental travel including travel outside of the United Kingdom. To ensure accuracy in the answers, extensive cross-referencing was required between different parts of the Department, which proved to be more time consuming than originally expected.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Chad: Internally Displaced Persons

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of Chadians who are  (a) resident in internally displaced people's camps and  (b) refugees; and what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to such people.

Gillian Merron: There are currently approximately 180,000 internally displaced people in Chad, the vast majority of them distributed across sites in the east of the country. In 2007-08, the UK Government have committed £6.5 million in Chad through humanitarian agencies to collectively address the needs of the internally displaced, the refugees and the host population. This support has been used for the provision of water and sanitation facilities, food, medical assistance, shelter and other relief items to these groups.
	The recent attack by rebels on N'Djamena (the capital of Chad) resulted in the flight of refugees into neighbouring Cameroon; approximately 10,000 still remain there. The United Nations recently made an allocation of approximately £2.4 million for these refugees from its Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), to which the UK is the largest donor (20 per cent.).
	Approximately 25,000 Chadian refugees also reside in Sudan. These receive indirect support from the UK through the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund in Sudan, to which the UK is contributing £35 million in this financial year.

Developing Countries: Diseases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on the funding of the public-private product development partnerships for diagnostics for neglected diseases.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government are a strong supporter of public-private product development partnerships for neglected diseases, recognising the need to develop new diagnostics.
	The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced over $60 million in support for TB diagnostics research in September 2007 in a grant to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), who also receive funding from the Dutch Government, EU and USAID. DFID staff have had a number of meetings with FIND and we will be considering funding for diagnostics in the context of DFID's new research strategy 2008-13.

Infant Mortality

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the merits of including in the millennium development goals framework equity objectives to close the gap in child mortality between the richest and poorest 20 per cent. of developing countries' populations.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government believe that equity objectives do currently underpin the millennium development goals' framework. The millennium declaration clearly states that signatories accept a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level, with a particular duty to children.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press office staff were employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) in each year since 1996-97 and (ii) at the latest date for which information is available.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have any agencies, and is responsible for two non-departmental public bodies—the Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, which do not have any press officers. The number of such staff in DFID since 1997, when the department was established, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 6 
			 1998 6 
			 1999 4 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 5 
			 2002 4 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 7 
			 2005 7 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 6 
			 Now 7

Sierra Leone: Economic Situation

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's latest assessment is of the economic situation in Sierra Leone.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The economic outlook for Sierra Leone is favourable, although fragile and highly vulnerable to external shocks. The economy grew at sustained pace (8 to 9 per cent. per year) since the end of the hostilities in 2002, and is expected to continue to expand at 6.5 per cent. in 2008, in line with the sub-Saharan African average. Inflation, around 12 per cent. in 2007, is expected to decline to single digit by the end of 2008. Business confidence was boosted by the peaceful outcome of the September 2007 elections, with an increase of private investment, especially in the construction and hospitality industry, and new entrants in the banking sector.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department provides to civil society in developing countries to hold their governments to account on their observance of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child obligations.

Gillian Merron: In several developing countries, the Department for International Development funds civil society specifically to hold governments to account for meeting commitments made under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This commonly takes the form of strengthening local groups representing children to demand that governments take all available measures to make sure children's rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.
	The UK Government also support child-focused international non-government organisations (NGOs) such as Save the Children and Plan International who work to strengthen international mechanisms and develop indicators to measure governments' compliance with the UNCRC and other international law.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the Ministerial letter of 31st January 2006 responding to the recommendations in the Animal Procedures Committee's 2005 report on the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, what her policy is on  (a) exploring the scope for reporting the true origin of animals when this differs from their proximate source and  (b) dividing the category of origin, where this differs from source, into the same categories as those for sources of Schedule 2 animals.

Meg Hillier: With regard to the origin of animals, the present format of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals is consistent with current European reporting requirements. We will give further consideration to this recommendation when the European Commission publishes revised statistical reporting requirements as part of the current review of Directive 86/609/EEC, which the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 transposes into UK law.

Asylum: Iraq

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi citizens have applied for the UK Gateway Programme since its inception.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 27 February 2008
	The Gateway Protection Programme has been in operation since 2004 and resettles a small number of nationalities each year. Applications are submitted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the Border and Immigration Agency. As of 25 February 2008, UNHCR has applied on behalf of 131 Iraqi citizens (including dependants) for consideration within the Gateway Programme.

Border and Immigration Agency: Manpower

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the UK Border and Immigration Agency are stationed outside the UK; and in which countries they are working.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Country  Number of BIA employees as at 27 February 2008 
			 United Arab Emirates 1 
			 Afghanistan 1 
			 Albania 2 
			 Algeria 2 
			 Arabia, Saudi 2 
			 Bahrain 1 
			 Bangladesh 12 
			 Belarus 3 
			 Belgium 40 
			 Brazil 1 
			 Cameroon 2 
			 China 29 
			 Colombia 1 
			 Congo 2 
			 Croatia 1 
			 Cyprus 1 
			 Dubai 6 
			 Egypt 6 
			 Ethiopia 1 
			 France 73 
			 Gambia 1 
			 Germany 3 
			 Ghana 14 
			 Hong Kong 6 
			 Hungary 2 
			 India 45 
			 Indonesia 1 
			 Iran 4 
			 Ireland (Republic of) 1 
			 Italy 3 
			 Jamaica 5 
			 Jordan 5 
			 Kenya 8 
			 Kuwait 1 
			 Lebanon 1 
			 Libya 2 
			 Macedonia 2 
			 Malaysia 2 
			 Nepal 2 
			 Netherlands 4 
			 Nigeria 54 
			 Oman 1 
			 Pakistan 45 
			 Philippines 6 
			 Poland 4 
			 Portugal 1 
			 Qatar 1 
			 Russia 11 
			 Serbia 1 
			 Sierra Leone 1 
			 Slovenia 1 
			 South Africa 9 
			 Spain 2 
			 Sri Lanka 6 
			 Thailand 7 
			 Turkey 9 
			 Uganda 2 
			 Ukraine 4 
			 USA 4 
			 Vietnam (south) 1 
			 Zimbabwe 1 
			 Floaters(1) 20 
			   
			 Total 490 
			 (1) Floaters are staff working in specific roles (e.g. entry clearance officer) who are posted to a variety of locations during their overseas tour of duty to provide temporary cover.   Note:  The large numbers of BIA staff working in Belgium and France reflect the operational staff from Border Control who staff the juxtaposed controls in both countries.

Border and Immigration Agency: Middle East

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the UK Border and Immigration Agency were stationed in the Middle East in each month since October 2007.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			   1 October 2007  1 November 2007  1 December 2007  1 January 2008  27 February 2008 
			 Afghanistan 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bahrain 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Dubai 6 6 6 6 6 
			 Israel 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Iran 5 5 5 5 4 
			 Jordan 4 4 4 5 5 
			 Kuwait 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Lebanon 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Oman 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Qatar 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Saudi Arabia 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Syria 0 0 0 0 0 
			 United Arab Emirates 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Yemen 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 23 24 24 25 24

British Crime Survey

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to extend the British Crime Survey to children under 16 years.

Jacqui Smith: Extending the British Crime Survey to cover crimes experienced by children under 16 years was a recommendation of the independent review of crime statistics led by Professor Adrian Smith. In response to the Smith review the Home Office commissioned methodological work to consider the feasibility of including children within the BCS and an announcement will be made in due course.

British Nationality: Assessments

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people took citizenship tests in  (a) St. Albans,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) England and Wales in each of the last three years; what the average pass rate was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Test results are recorded against the test centre and Government office region where the test is taken, but it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the figures for St. Albans or Hertfordshire.
	Candidates may take the test at any test centre and it is known that many candidates take the test at a location convenient to their place of employment rather than their place of residence.
	There are two test centres in Hertfordshire, Watford and Stevenage, which fall within the Eastern Government region.
	The figures for tests taken in centres in England and Wales are as follows:
	
		
			  Life in the UK tests 
			   2005 (October to December)  2006  2007 
			  England
			 Fail (Number) 2,107 48,757 88,837 
			 Pass (Number) 5,086 101,137 202,936 
			 Total tests (Number) 7,193 149,894 291,773 
			 Pass rate (Percentage) 70.7 67.5 69.6 
			 
			  Wales
			 Fail (Number) 10 565 1,370 
			 Pass (Number) 38 1,465 3,473 
			 Total tests (Number) 48 2,030 4,843 
			 Pass rate (Percentage) 79.2 72.2 71.7

Deportation: Offenders

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours detainees awaiting deportation spent in police custody in  (a) Teesside and  (b) England and Wales in 2007.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Foreigners: Sports

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to introduce a levy on non-EU competitors participating at British sporting events; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The visa fee currently payable for a sportsperson from a visa national country coming to participate at a sporting event in the UK is £99. This fee is set at below cost recovery levels.

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to date of removing errors from the National DNA Database.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Clegg) on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1769W.

Human Trafficking

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 810-11 on human trafficking, what type of intelligence is expected to be gathered under Operation Pentameter 2; and what progress has been made in this intelligence gathering to date.

Jacqui Smith: Under Operation Pentameter 2 forces have been requested to submit strategic and tactical intelligence on all forms of human trafficking. The information requested includes information on victims as well as on organised crime groups and their methods of operation.
	There has been good progress to date on the collection of this intelligence and following on from the conclusion of this operation the United Kingdom human trafficking centre in conjunction with the Serious Organised Crime Agency will produce an updated strategic assessment of the nature and scale of human trafficking.

Immigration: Deportation

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been removed from the UK under regulation 21 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.

Liam Byrne: The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency advised the Home Affairs Committee during her appearance before them on 15 January that 4,200 foreign national prisoners were deported or removed from the UK in 2007. Over 500 of these were EEA nationals that were deported from the UK after consideration under regulation 21 of the Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006 and the associated case law.

Immigration: Iraq

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi citizens currently employed by the Ministry of Defence have applied for indefinite leave to enter on an exceptional basis outside the Immigration Rules.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 28 February 2008
	Staff who are currently employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are not eligible to apply for indefinite leave to enter on an exceptional basis outside the immigration rules; they only become eligible under the scheme of assistance when they are made redundant or forced to resign under exceptional circumstances.
	Of those who were employed on or after 8 August 2007, seven members of staff have applied to the MOD for indefinite leave to enter. They are being assisted through the process at the present time.

Immigration: Iraq

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi citizens currently employed by the Ministry of Defence have applied for indefinite leave to enter on an exceptional basis outside the immigration rules.

Liam Byrne: Staff who are currently employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are not eligible to apply for indefinite leave to enter on an exceptional basis outside the immigration rules; they only become eligible under the scheme of assistance when they are made redundant or forced to resign under exceptional circumstances.
	Of those who were employed on or after 8 August 2007, seven members of staff have applied to the MOD for indefinite leave to enter. They are being assisted through the process at the present time.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the most recent letter from the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on Mr. Eltifat Tahiri Moghanlo of Birkenhead (Home Office Reference M4714/7 T1047133); and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The previous Home Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 26 February 2007 on 12 March 2007 (correspondence reference: M4714/7). The Under-Secretary of State replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 16 July 2007 on 13 August 2007 (correspondence reference: M15070/7). The Minister for Borders and Immigration will reply to my right hon. Friend's further letter of 20 February 2008 shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply substantively to the letter of 20 July 2007 from the hon. Member for Sunderland South on refugee status for Muna Othman Khatab and her family, ref: K1266830.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency wrote to my hon. Friend in relation to this matter on 25 February 2008.

Migration Advisory Committee

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Migration Advisory Committee has met; who attended the meetings; what advice it has provided on cohesion and integration issues; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has met on three occasions, on 7 December 2007, 25 January and 15 February 2008. Minutes of MAC meetings, including details of those attending and all relevant papers, are publicly available at:
	www.biahomeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
	The MAC was established to provide independent and evidence-based advice to Government on specific sectors and occupations in the labour market where shortages exist which can sensibly be filled by migration.
	The Government may, from time to time, ask the MAC to advise on other matters relating to migration.

Migration Impact Forum

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Migration Impacts Forum has met; who attended the meetings; what information it has provided on the impacts of migration on communities and public services; what advice it has provided on cohesion and integration issues; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Migration Impacts Forum (MIF) has met three times, twice in 2007 and once in 2008. Minutes of the MIF meetings, including details of those attending, and all relevant papers are publicly available at:
	www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk
	and
	www.communities.gov.uk
	The purpose of the Migration Impacts Forum (MIF) is to provide a forum for proper, regular and organised dialogue with interested parties outside central Government, focussed on the wider impacts associated with migration experienced by local areas. It:
	Considers information from forum members about the transitional impacts and/or adjustment requirements which derive from migration
	Identifies and shares good practice in managing transitional or adjustment requirements
	Brings together existing evidence about the impacts of migration
	Suggests areas for Government research on the impacts of migration
	The Forum meets quarterly and is chaired jointly by a Home Office and a Communities and Local Government Minister.

Passengers: Personal Records

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the Government's presentation to the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on 25 and 26 January on the UK's experience of using passenger name record data.

Liam Byrne: The presentation contained details that would be inappropriate for public disclosure therefore it cannot be placed in the Library.

Passengers: Personal Records

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the European Commission's Passenger Name Record proposal; what the Government's policy on the proposal is; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 82WS, on the Justice and Home Affairs Informal Council, 25 and 26 January 2008, what further work the Government has undertaken into the operation and scope of the use of passenger name record data under the European Commission's proposal;
	(3)  what the difficult technical and substantive issues related to use of passenger name record data for law enforcement purposes are.

Liam Byrne: The European Commission's proposed legislation on the use of EU PNR for law enforcement purposes was published in November 2007. The Government welcome the EU PNR proposal and believe that it presents an important opportunity to share data in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
	Negotiations are at an early stage. The content of the proposal has been remitted to the Multi-Disciplinary Working Group on Organised Crime for detailed discussions and has also been discussed at a "Friends of the Presidency" meeting. We believe that the proposed instrument must be compatible with UK domestic initiatives, specifically e-Borders, and are seeking to agree minimum standards of harmonisation in many areas of the text. There are a number of issues to be resolved, including the technical challenges presented by the introduction and harmonisation of EU member states' PNR data processing systems; the application of appropriate data protection safeguards; and achieving consensus over the appropriate scope of the proposed instrument.

Passengers: Personal Records

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has conducted into the effectiveness of the use of passenger name record data in preventing people trafficking through airline travel.

Liam Byrne: The ability to analyse reservation data to identify persons previously unknown to the law enforcement agencies travel is of significant value to the border agencies. The data elements are provided by carriers and screened using rules based targeting, developed using objective criteria relating to individuals of interest. Where such a passenger is identified, manual analysis of the data is undertaken and, where appropriate, the relevant agency is alerted. The use of these data elements has enabled the identification of persons suspected of involvement in a range of criminal activity.

Police: Pay

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force had registered earnings outside their police work in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office does not collect data on police officers who have registered earnings outside their police work. It is for Chief Police Officers to record such earnings.

Project Semaphore

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have  (a) been assessed,  (b) warranted further investigation,  (c) been deemed to be of interest,  (d) been arrested,  (e) been prosecuted and  (f) been convicted under Project Semaphore in each of the last three years; and upon what charges each such prosecution was brought.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The information is as follows:
	Project Semaphore has an annualised passenger rate of 30 million.
	When a passenger's details suggest further investigation is required or the passenger is of interest, an alert is sent out to the relevant agency. To date, since its inception on 10 January 2005, a total of over 20,000 alerts have been sent by Semaphore. These alerts numbered 1,619 in 2005, 6,196 in 2006 and 11,166 in 2007.
	As at 13 February 2008, there have been a total of over 1,600 arrests of passengers where alerts have been sent by Semaphore. Broken down by year: 125 in 2005, 629 in 2006 and 748 in 2007.
	Feedback from police forces to Semaphore is returned only on the number of arrests made. No other detail is passed as a matter of course, e.g. prosecution, conviction, etc.

Registered Traveller Programme

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the European Union's Registered Traveller Programme feasibility study; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: A Communication from the Commission was issued on 19 February. It invited the European Parliament and the Council to reflect on the future of the EU's integrated border management strategy, including the feasibility of the Registered Traveller Programme. The Commission proposes to issue a further working document in due course. While the UK does not participate in this element of the Schengen Agreement, we will work with the Commission to explore to what extent we are able to develop synergies with the proposals.

Security: Aviation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the European Union's S-Travel Initiative; what the Government's policy on the initiative is; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The United Kingdom is not a member of the S-Travel initiative. Our understanding is that the concept of the S-Travel initiative was introduced in June 2002 with a scheduled completion date of April 2004.

Serious and Organised Crime Agency: Confiscation Orders

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many confiscation orders have been  (a) obtained and  (b) enforced by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

Jacqui Smith: The SOCA annual report for 2006-07 reported that SOCA had obtained, and assisted with the enforcement of, the following confiscation orders:
	
		
			  Operational year 2006-07 
			   £/number 
			 Value of confiscation orders obtained (£) 14,542,084 
			 Volume of confiscation order obtained (number) 91 
			   
			 Value of orders enforced (£) 4,327,420 
			 Volume of orders enforced (number) 220 
		
	
	As required under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, SOCA will publish a report on the exercise of its functions during 2007-08 as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. Comparable figures for the financial year 2007-08 will be available when the report is published.

UK Border and Immigration Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the UK Border and Immigration Agency, or contractors on its behalf, are  (a) directly involved and  (b) exclusively involved with the screening of applicants to the UK Gateway programme.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Refugee Resettlement Programmes Unit administers the Gateway Protection Programme. Of the 15 staff working in the unit, nine staff are involved in the screening of applicants. No staff are exclusively involved with the screening of applicants.

UK Gateway Scheme: Finance

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual budget was for the UK Gateway Scheme in 2007-08.

Liam Byrne: The Gateway protection programme budget for 2007-08 is £9.48 million.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of patients attending accident and emergency departments who could be more appropriately managed in primary care.

Ben Bradshaw: No formal estimate has been made by the Department.
	It is a matter for the local national health service, along with its strategic health authorities and other interested bodies to plan, develop and organise local services that are responsive to people's needs. What is key is that patients have timely access to appropriate care. The case mix of patients attending services is likely to vary locally.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of alcohol-related illness for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne was in each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07; and what the rate was per head of population in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Data are available on the total finished admissions to hospital of residency of Newcastle primary care trust (PCT) in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis of an alcohol-related illness(1) at the start of his/her stay and the rate per head of the PCT area.
	This information has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Year (of end of first period of care in patient's hospital stay)  Alcohol-related illnesses finished admissions  Newcastle PCT estimated population  Percentage of finished admissions for alcohol-related illnesses for the Newcastle PCT population 
			 2006-07 2,022 270,462 0.75 
			 2005-06 1,828 269,644 0.68 
			 2004-05 1,629 267,104 0.61 
			 2003-04 1,644 267,167 0.62 
			 2002-03 1,468 267,415 0.55 
			 2001-02 1,487 266,241 0.56 
			 2000-01 1,606 — — 
			  Notes: The figures do not cover all incidence of alcohol-related illness, only these in which an admission to hospital.  Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected, the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. (1) All Diagnoses count of Mentions: These figures represent a count of all mentions of a diagnosis in any of the 14 diagnosis fields in the HES data set. Therefore, if a diagnosis is mentioned in more than one diagnosis field during an episode, all diagnoses are counted.  ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes Used: F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, K70: Alcoholic liver disease and T51: Toxic effect of Alcohol.  PCT geographical data: Population data for PCTs are only available for 2001 onwards.  Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: HES, the Information Centre for health and social care.

Arthritis: Medical Treatments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on people with ankylosing spondylitis of waiting for the appeal process to complete on Remicade before issuing guidance on the administering of anti-TNF medication; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the effect on people waiting for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appeal process to complete.
	Funding for licensed treatments should not be withheld because guidance from NICE is unavailable. In December 2006, we issued refreshed good practice guidance which asks national health service bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the treatment or technology first becomes available.

Asthma

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with asthma who have a care plan as stated in the Our Care, Our Health, Our Say, White Paper.

Ann Keen: We have made no estimate of the number of people living with asthma who have a care plan.
	The new general medical services contract includes a specific 'quality indicator' for treatment and care of people with asthma. It is the responsibility of local health bodies to ensure that patients living with asthma are offered care plans and regular reviews.

Babies: Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of those previously addicted to prescribed tranquillisers have suffered long-term impairment as a consequence of their addiction.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not currently collect information that enables us to provide an estimate of the number of patients who are addicted to prescription drugs.

Blood Transfusions: Infectious Diseases

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported infections of each type arising from blood transfusion have occurred in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table gives the number of reports of transfusion transmitted infections made to the National Blood Service/Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections Surveillance for the last five years.
	
		
			  Infection  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hepatitis A Virus 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Hepatitis B Virus 1 1 0 1 0 
			 HIV 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Hepatitis E Virus 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Bacteria 1 3 0 2 2 
			 Malaria 0 1 0 0 0

Blood Transfusions: Infectious Diseases

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what groups his Department has identified as being at high risk of being exposed to infectious disease transmittable by blood transfusion; how this risk has been assessed and measured; what restrictions are placed on the donating of blood by members of these groups; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The rules for blood donor selection have been developed in line with scientific and medical knowledge. The current donor selection rules are a precaution against known infections and also against other infectious agents, known or unknown, that could be transmitted by blood.
	Every blood donation is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and human T-lymphotropic virus. However, no testing process can be perfect. Infected donations may be missed because of the 'window period' between getting an infection and the test showing a positive result.
	To minimise the risk, the United Kingdom blood transfusion service donor selection rules, in common with those of many other countries, permanently bar from blood donation any individual who has ever injected drugs, accepted payment for sex, or a man who has ever had anal or oral sex with another man. A temporary (one year) bar on donation is applied to individuals who report a potential exposure to infection that is stated to be no longer ongoing and unlikely to be resumed.
	This policy is kept under review by the blood service and the Department.

Blood: Donors

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of blood donations which would be made each year by gay men if they were not banned from giving blood.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to give such an estimate. However, currently 4 per cent. of the total eligible population give blood.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of early stage breast cancer patients tested positive for HER2 in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what guidance has been issued to hospital trusts on compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines in relation to HER2 testing; and if he will place copies in the Library;
	(3)  which trusts do not automatically screen women with early stage breast cancer for HER2; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department does not routinely collect figures on the number of breast cancer patients who are tested for HER2.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has not published guidelines on HER2 testing, although it published guidance in 2006 on the use of Herceptin for early stage HER2 positive breast cancer.
	The Department has issued no official guidance on HER2 testing. However in January 2006, National Cancer Research Institute guidelines on HER2 testing were circulated to cancer networks as useful information. This guidance can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/NationalServiceFrameworks/Cancer/DH_4001771
	In 2006, all cancer networks confirmed that they were testing all women diagnosed with early breast cancer for HER2.

Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, how he plans to ensure that patients with rarer cancers receive the treatment and support that they require; and how he plans to measure progress towards this objective.

Ann Keen: The "Cancer Reform Strategy", published last year, reconfirmed the Government's commitment to improving services for all cancer patients including those diagnosed with less common and rare cancers.
	The strategy aims to improve cancer prevention, speed up the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, reduce inequalities, improve the experience of people living with and beyond cancer and ensure care is delivered in the most appropriate settings.
	Annual reports from the National Cancer Director will assess overall progress on tackling cancer. These reports will be published.
	In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued "Improving Outcomes Guidance" covering the majority of less common cancers such as brain tumours, sarcoma, pancreatic cancers and haematological cancers.
	Both the Department and the Healthcare Commission monitor implementation of "Improving Outcomes Guidance".

Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, how he plans to address the health inequalities faced by socio-economically deprived groups in relation to cancer; and how he plans to measure progress.

Ann Keen: As announced in the "Cancer Reform Strategy", we are launching the National Cancer Equality Initiative (NCEI) to tackle inequalities in cancer outcomes. The NCEI will bring together key stakeholders to develop research proposals on cancer inequalities, test interventions and to advise on the development of wider policy. This work is in the early stages of development and is being lead by the National Cancer Director.
	Local action will also be necessary to tackle inequalities. As part of the measures we are introducing to ensure stronger commissioning, primary care trusts, in association with their cancer network, will wish to undertake a local equality impact assessment and take appropriate steps to address local issues. The Department will also continue to encourage innovation in tackling inequalities through the section 64 grant programme.
	We are committed to tracking progress on cancer to ensure that all the aims of the "Cancer Reform Strategy", including reducing inequalities, are achieved and the National Cancer Director will deliver annual reports on progress to Ministers.
	Additionally, the UK National Screening Committee is conducting an equality review within the national screening programmes, including those for cancer. As a result of this review, the National Screening Committee will consider what initiatives could be undertaken to improve access to screening in vulnerable populations.

Cancer: Children

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) mean and  (b) median waiting time was from diagnosis of children with cancer to treatment for each type of cancer in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07.

Ann Keen: Average waiting times for cancer patients and average waiting times for specific cancer conditions are not collected centrally. The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from urgent referral for suspected cancer to first cancer treatment for children's cancers was introduced from 2001. Performance against this standard in each of the last three years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Total number of patients  Performance (percentage) 
			 2004-05 31 93.5 
			 2005-06 36 91.7 
			 2006-07 42 95.2

Cancer: Clinical Trials

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, how he plans to ensure that there is an increase in the number of older people and young people included in clinical trials for cancer treatments; and how he plans to measure progress towards this objective.

Ann Keen: We are working with the National Cancer Research Institute Clinical Studies Groups to encourage trial designs that do not include upper age limits in their inclusion criteria. We will also encourage medicines' regulators and industry to work together to achieve the same aim for industry-sponsored trials. We are also working with the National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network to help ensure that, for trials where there are already no upper age limits to entry, older people are offered entry whenever appropriate.
	The United Kingdom Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (UKCCLG) is one of the most successful clinical trials organisations in the UK. Increasingly and particularly in relation to the development of specialist clinical units commonly funded from charitable sources, entry into many studies in the UKCCLG's portfolio has expanded to include teenagers and young adults.
	We are committed to tracking progress on cancer to ensure that all the aims of the "Cancer Reform Strategy" are achieved and the National Cancer Director will deliver annual reports on progress to Ministers.

Cancer: Screening

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure provision of cancer screening and detection facilities at  (a) small and  (b) community hospitals.

Ann Keen: It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts, local screening services and stakeholders to provide appropriate screening services to meet the needs of their local populations and to consider the appropriate location of those services.

Cannabis: Misuse

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to raise awareness among young people of the harmful effects of cannabis on health.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	My hon. Friend will know from the replies to his earlier questions on alcohol abuse that the Government are committed to reducing substance misuse among young people. This includes that relating to cannabis. Education about cannabis is delivered alongside that on other drugs, alcohol and volatile substances and is a vital element of our approach.
	We are clear of the need to be sure that drug education in schools is robust, accurate and effective. As part of the Children's Plan we have given a commitment to examine the effectiveness of current delivery arrangements for all drugs education and act to strengthen them if necessary.
	In addition to school-based education the Government's FRANK campaign has consistently informed young people about the risks associated with cannabis through the media and the dedicated FRANK website. There are around 1,100 visits to the cannabis web page each day alone and the message is clear—cannabis is harmful and illegal and should not be taken.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients held under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 have absconded, including those who subsequently returned to care, since 1997, broken down by mental health trust.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Dental Services: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists offering NHS services there are in Barnet; how many there were in 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The latest available data are for 2007 by primary care trusts (PCTs). As at 31 March 2007 there were 232 dentists on open national health service contracts in Barnet PCT.
	As at 31 March 1997 there were 186 dentists on open NHS contracts in Barnet PCT.
	Numbers of dentists by PCT and strategic health authority (SHA) area as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 are available in annex E of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006". This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This report published 23 August 2006 is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	The numbers of NHS dentists by PCT and SHA area as at 30 June 2006, 30 September 2006, 31 December 2006 and 31 March 2007 are available in table E1 of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07 report". This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report published 23 August 2007 is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
	The inclusion of dentists on trust led contracts in the data collection following the 2006 reforms means that data collected since April 2006 cannot be directly compared with data collected under the previous system.
	In both reports published by the Information Centre for health and social care, the work force numbers quoted are headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
	The methodology and frequency for reporting workforce information are currently being reviewed. The purpose of the review is to ensure that, following experience of the first year of the new dental contract, figures provide an appropriate measure of the work force, given the way that the workforce reporting system is being used by PCTs. An update on the review was provided in the "NHS Dental Statistics for England, Quarter 2: 30 September 2007" report, published on 28 February 2008.

Dental Services: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are awaiting registration with an NHS dentist in Barnet; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.
	Under the old contractual arrangements, which were in place until 2006, patients had to register with an individual dentist. Under the new contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with a dentist to receive national health service care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') in a given area over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The numbers of patients seen by an NHS dentist in the 24-month period ending 31 March 2006, 31 March 2007 and 30 June 2007 are available in table C1 of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics, Q1 2007-08" report. These are the latest data available by primary care trust and strategic health authority area. This report, published on 28 November 2007 by the Information Centre for health and social care is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentstatsq10708

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's guidance to staff on hospitality states that hospitality
	"should be modest, and in keeping with the occasion, and justifiable as being necessary for the effective conduct of Departmental business ("wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of" your work)".
	The guidance also states that the provision of alcoholic drinks should be exceptional.
	The Department does not routinely collect data at this level of detail, as they are not required for our statutory reporting. A considerable manual exercise would need to be undertaken to separate expenditure on alcohol and entertaining from that relating to internal meetings and staff subsistence claims in order to provide this information. Such an exercise would incur disproportionate costs.

Elderly: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 864W, on the elderly: nutrition, whether the membership of his Department's Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board has been decided;
	(2)  if he will include a National Patient Safety Agency representative on the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board.

Ivan Lewis: Yes. The membership of the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board, which met for the first time on 12 February, is shown in the following table. The Board consists of a Core Group, chaired by Gordon Lishman, Director General of Age Concern. There will also be five sub-groups, each chaired by a member of the Core Group (one for each of the key priority actions listed in the Nutrition Action Plan).
	
		
			  Core group members   
			 Chair Gordon Lishman Chair—Age Concern 
			 Key Members Josie Spencer Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Debbie Dzik-Jurasz Royal College of Nursing 
			  Liz Mandeville Local Government Association 
			  Philip Hurst Age Concern 
			  Jo Webber NHS Confederation 
			  Stuart Haines British Association of Medical Managers 
			  Sarah Smithers Patient Representative 
			  Policy officials (x 6) Department of Health 
			  Sub group chairs   
			 Awareness Raising Rick Wilson (Chair) Council of Europe UK 
			 Guidance Julie Jones (Chair) Social Care Institute for Excellence 
			 Screening Prof. Marinos Elia (Chair) Chair-British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 
			 Training Ros Speight (Chair) Interagency Round Table Group 
			 Inspection and Regulation. Virginia Storey (Co-Chair) Commission for Social Care Inspection 
			  Rekha Elaswarapu (Co-Chair) The Healthcare Commission 
		
	
	Minutes of the meeting on February 12 will be placed on the Department's website in due course.
	The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is in contact with the Department on a regular basis to account for policy developments on nutrition and other patient safety issues. Anything we learn from the NPSA will be used to brief the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department made of the cost of the new contract for general practitioners that came into effect in April 2004 before its introduction; and how much it cost in each subsequent year.

Ben Bradshaw: Negotiators at the outset of the original nGMS contract agreed to a guaranteed 36 per cent. increase in minimum levels of investment over the three year period ending 2005-06 through the Gross Investment Guarantee to support the introduction of a new general practitioner contract that delivered higher quality care and an increased range of services for patients.
	In costing the entirety of new contract costs including spend against actual resources allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) over the same period, spend was actually 52 per cent. Measurement of spend against the Gross Investment Guarantee (the minimum level of investment agreed by negotiators) should not be confused with spend against actual resources allocated to PCTs.
	Actual spend in each year and the guaranteed minimum investment are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Spend on primary medical care services compared with the Gross Investment Guarantee 
			  £ million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Gross Investment Guarantee n/a 5,611 6,211 6,918 n/a 
			 Spend on primary medical care services 5,084 5,811 6,957 7,734 7,757 
			 n/a = not applicable  Note: Actual spend in 2002-03 was £4,893 million but to allow comparability with the £191 million expected spend on enhanced services under the new contract, £191 million was added to produce the 2002-03 baseline figure.

General Practitioners

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire of 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1222W, on general practitioners, what progress the NHS Next Stage Review has made in examining the different domains of the Quality and Outcomes Framework; what interim findings have emerged from the Review; whether he expects changes to be made to the process for reviewing the Quality and Outcomes Framework for the  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11 financial years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy that reviews of the Quality and Outcomes Framework take place for each new financial year;
	(3)  when he expects the review of the Quality and Outcomes Framework for the 2009-10 financial year to begin; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is kept under constant review. Changes to the QOF are made as part of wider general medical services contract negotiations between NHS Employers and the General Practitioners Committee, which provides an opportunity to make changes in each new financial year.
	Lord Darzi's interim findings from the Next Stage Review were published on 4 October 2007. The interim report announced the development of a strategy for primary and community care services. A copy of the interim report is available in the Library. As part of the development of this strategy the Review will consider how to reshape incentives to provide a stronger focus on health outcomes and continuous quality improvement; whether there should be an independent process for setting and reviewing outcomes measures in the framework; and whether there should be greater flexibility for primary care trusts in setting outcomes that reflect local needs and priorities.
	The NHS Next Stage Review is ongoing and the outcome will be published later this year.

General Practitioners

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) GP surgeries and  (b) health centres have closed in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect centrally the numbers of closures of general practitioner (GP) surgeries or health centres. These data are held locally by primary care trusts.
	However, we do collect data on numbers of GP practices, and practitioners, at a given date for each year. These are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of GP practices in England, as at 1997-2006 
			   Total GP practices  Total number of GPs( 1) 
			 1997 9,102 28,046 
			 1998 9,090 28,251 
			 1999 9,034 28,467 
			 2000 8,965 28,593 
			 2001 8,910 28,802 
			 2002 8,833 29,202 
			 2003 8,833 30,358 
			 2004 8,542 31,523 
			 2005 8,451 32,738 
			 2006 8,325 33,091 
			 (1) Excluding GP registrars and GP retainers  Note: Data as at 1 October 1997-99, 30 September 2000-06  Source: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care—General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

General Practitioners: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen by out of hours GP services in  (a) Enfield and  (b) Enfield North in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of patients seen by out of hours general practitioner (GP) services is not collected centrally. Primary care trusts (PCTs) now have a legal responsibility to ensure that they provide or secure provision of out of hours services for their local population. The right hon. Member may therefore wish to approach the Chief Executive of Enfield PCT who might be able to provide data on the number of patients seen by local out of hours GP services.
	The NHS London Strategic Health Authority reports that Enfield PCT is in the process of trying to agree extended opening hours with all its practices.

Health Visitors

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in recruitment and retention of health visitors in the NHS over the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of health visitors in the national health service in England over the last 10 years.
	The number of health visitors has remained static over the last 10 years but there has been significant growth in the overall number of nurses working in primary and community care settings in both 2005-06 of 1,039 (1 per cent.) and since 1997 of 29,543 (38.2 per cent.).
	Work force planning in terms of the recruitment and retention of health visitors is a matter for local work force planners in local primary care trusts and strategic health authorities as they are best placed to asses the health visiting needs of their local population.
	The following table shows the age profile of health visitors as at September 2006.
	
		
			  Health visitors employed in the NHS (England) as at September each year (headcount)and (full time equivalent (FTE)) 
			   Headcount  FTE 
			 1997 12,410 10,030 
			 1998 12,570 10,070 
			 1999 12,800 10,160 
			 2000 12,827 10,046 
			 2001 13,053 10,186 
			 2002 12,774 9,912 
			 2003 12,984 9,999 
			 2004 13,303 10,137 
			 2005 12,818 9,809 
			 2006(1) 12,034 9,376 
			 (1) More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 232 headcount duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census.  Source: Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census 
		
	
	
		
			  Age profile of health visitors as at September 2006 
			  Health visitor  Headcount 
			 Under 25 13 
			 25 to 29 274 
			 30 to 34 672 
			 35 to 39 1,402 
			 40 to 44 2,257 
			 45 to 49 2,590 
			 50 to 54 2,126 
			 55 to 59 1,588 
			 60 to 64 672 
			 65 and over 89 
			 Unknown 351 
			 All staff 12,034

Health Visitors

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of health visitors suffered work-related stress in the latest year for which records are available; and what assessment he has made of how this compares with the incidence of work-related stress amongst other categories of health workers.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally and no assessment has been carried out. Local trusts are responsible for the welfare of their employees and supporting them in performing their role.

HIV Infection

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 676W, to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on HIV infection, how many new cases of HIV there were in the City of Newcastle.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested, which is available at local authority level, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of first United Kingdom HIV diagnoses, Newcastle city council, 1997-2006 
			  Age group  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 0 to 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 15 to 24 0 <5 <5 5 4 7 13 6 12 8 
			 25 to 34 11 9 5 8 13 18 33 34 29 23 
			 35 to 44 5 5 7 9 13 21 24 24 33 15 
			 45 to 54 6 0 <5 <5 <5 9 7 10 9 9 
			 55+ 5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 7 <5 
			 Total 27 18 19 24 33 56-59 78-81 75-78 90 56-59 
			  Notes:  1. Ranges are provided where one or more cells have a count under five. This is done to remove the possibility of deductive disclosure of an individual's identity. For the same reason, data are provided by age group rather than specific age.  2. Cumulative data are as reported by the end of June 2007. Numbers will rise as further reports are received (particularly for more recent years).  3. Data will include many individuals who have been infected with HIV outside the UK, but who have been subsequently diagnosed in the UK.   Source:  Health Protection Agency.

Humberside Breast Screening Unit

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Humberside Breast Screening Unit will have screened every woman in its area within the 36 month target time period.

Ann Keen: The national target is to achieve 90 per cent. of eligible women being recalled within a 36-month interval.
	The Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authority (SHA) reports that following an extensive review and the development of a service redesign and expansion plan, improvements to performance have already been seen in the Humberside service. It is expected that significant progress will continue to be made, with the achievement of the national target by April 2009. If it is possible to achieve this earlier, efforts will be made to do so.
	We take the issue of the 36-month standard between screens very seriously and early last year, Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, wrote to the chief executives of all 10 SHAs in England highlighting the importance of maintaining the 36-month interval.
	The "Cancer Reform Strategy" also reinforces the need to maintain the 36-month standard, noting that primary care trusts will need to invest more in breast screening to ensure that women are screened within the 36-month standard.

Infectious Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what records his Department holds of incidents of healthcare-associated infections outside hospitals and care homes; and how many such cases there were in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available.
	However the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) enhanced surveillance scheme for methicillin resistant  staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections, introduced on 1 October 2005, collects information on where the patient was located when the specimen was taken but it is not possible from this to reliably attribute infection to specific settings. The HPA analysed the first six months of enhanced data in "Mandatory Surveillance of Healthcare Associated Infections Report 2006" available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/MandSurv HCAI2006.pdf
	A copy of the report is available in the Library. Most patients were admitted from home and two thirds of blood stream infections were detected two or more days after admission which indicates that these were acquired in the trust.
	Information on the patient location for  Clostridium difficile infection has been collected since April 2007 and the HPA aim to publish an analysis of this later this year.

Maternity Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which maternity units changed from consultant-led to midwife-led in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the latest information we have is that there are 181 maternity units in hospitals and 101 midwifery units (33 of which are co-located, and 68 are stand alone in the community). A total of 282 maternity units.

Medical Treatments: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England who have had privately funded proton radiation beam therapy  (a) in England and  (b) abroad.

Ann Keen: No estimate has been made of the number of people in England who have had privately funded proton radiation beam therapy in England and abroad.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of new cases were seen by specialist child and adolescent mental health services in  (a) England and  (b) the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust area within (i) four weeks, (ii) 13 weeks and (iii) 26 weeks in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the following table. This information comes from the 2006-07 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Mapping Exercise which collates data on the provision of CAMHS in England. This was published in "A profile of child health, child and adolescent mental health and maternity services in England in 2007" (December 2007).
	
		
			   National health service provider 
			   Avon and Wiltshire mental health partnership NHS trust  England 
			 Total number of new cases in sample period(1) 124 29,078 
			 <=4 weeks (percentage) 56 51 
			 5 weeks to <=13 weeks (percentage) 26 36 
			 14 weeks to <=26 weeks (percentage) 12 9 
			 >26 weeks (percentage) 6 5 
			 (1) The sample for Tier 2/3 services was the month of November 2006 and for Tier 4 1 June to 30 November 2006.  Note: Due to rounding figures may not total correctly.

Mentally Ill: Medical Records

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to independent mental health advocates being given access to electronic patient records; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Mental Health Act 1983, as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007, provides that independent mental health advocates may, where the patient consents, require the production and inspection of any records related to the patient's detention, treatment or aftercare. This includes electronic patient records.

NHS: Compensation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid in  (a) employment and  (b) compensation claims by the NHS to its employees in each of the last three years; and how many claims are awaiting payment.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Complaints

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the NHS complaints procedure when handling complaints from patients treated by GSUP-2 contractors; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Health service patients regarding treatment through the general supplementary contracts would follow the standard national health service complaints procedure. It is a core function of strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to manage their patient experience including local complaints handling procedures. To date, no formal assessment of the procedures has been undertaken.

Parkinson's Disease

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people received treatment for Parkinson's disease in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of people diagnosed with, and treated for, Parkinson's disease is not collected.

Parkinson's Disease

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received treatment for Parkinson's disease in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not centrally collected.

Radiotherapy

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from England have had proton radiation beam therapy in  (a) England and  (b) abroad; how many were funded by the NHS; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the treatment.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of patients who have received proton beam therapy in England and abroad and who were funded by the national health service is not collected centrally.
	However, the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) Proton Sub-Group Report estimated that 100 to 130 patients with particular eye tumours are treated each year at the current United Kingdom proton therapy facility at Clatterbridge.
	The report also estimated that approximately 15 to 20 other patients are referred for proton therapy abroad.
	The NRAG Proton Sub-Group Report considered the evidence base for proton therapy and informed the overarching NRAG Report published in May 2007.
	The NRAG Proton Sub Group Report is available at:
	www.cancer.nhs.uk/documents/nrag_files/Proton%20 Subgroup%20Report%20-%20fin.pdf

Scarborough Hospital: Cleaning Services

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons Scarborough hospital has not received a deep clean; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: All trusts were required to submit and agree their deep clean plans with primary care trusts in their area by 14 December 2007 and this process has been monitored and assessed by strategic health authorities (SHAs). All deep cleans will be complete by the end of March 2008.
	As set out in the written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 38-39WS, further information on the implementation of the deep clean of the NHS is available from SHAs.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Answer of 19 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1438-42W, on sexually transmitted diseases, how many diagnoses there were of each disease per head of population in each year since 2000-01; and how many cases there were of each  (a) in total and  (b) per head of population in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.  [Official Report, 11 March 2008, Vol. 473, c. 1MC.]

Dawn Primarolo: The total number and rates of new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in England are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total number and rate of new STIs diagnosed in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England; 2001-06 
			   Total number of new STI diagnoses( 1)  Rate of new STI diagnoses( 1) 
			 2001 272,387 657.1 
			 2002 291,910 588.0 
			 2003 311,572 625.0 
			 2004 325,783 650.4 
			 2005 327,994 650.4 
			 2006 335,123 664.51 
			 (1) Includes those shown in the table that gives details on the rate of new diagnosis of selected STIs diagnosed in GUM clinics in England, per 100,000; 2001-06 and breakdown of confirmed positive chlamydia diagnosis among those aged 13-24 by year in England. 
		
	
	
		
			  Total number of new diagnoses of selected STIs diagnosed in GUM clinics in England; 2001-06 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Anogenital herpes simplex—first attack 17,054 17,510 17,157 16,952 17,618 19,388 
			 Anogenital warts—first attack 62,423 63,938 65,279 68,217 68,701 70,988 
			 Primary and secondary infectious syphilis 717 1,196 1,538 2,033 2,574 2,515 
			 Uncomplicated chlamydial infection 68,180 78,117 85,516 92,948 95,930 99,230 
			 Uncomplicated gonorrhoea 22,398 24,357 23,492 20,779 17,702 17,445 
			 Total 170,775 185,118 192,982 200,929 202,525 209,566 
		
	
	
		
			  Rate of new diagnoses of selected STIs diagnosed in GUM clinics in England, per 100,000 population; 2001-06 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Anogenital herpes simplex—first attack 34.5 35.3 34.4 33.8 34.9 38.4 
			 Anogenital warts—first attack 126.2 128.8 130.9 136.2 136.2 140.8 
			 Primary and secondary infectious syphilis 1.4 2.4 3.1 4.1 5.1 5.0 
			 Uncomplicated chlamydial infection 137.9 157.3 171.5 185.6 190.2 196.8 
			 Uncomplicated gonorrhoea 45.3 49.1 47.1 41.5 35.1 34.6 
			  Notes: 1. Data are collected by calendar year and not financial year. 2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 3. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. For example, individuals may be diagnosed with chlamydia several times in one year and each diagnosis will be counted separately. 4. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 5. Data are unavailable for 2007. 6. The total population was used for the calculation of overall rates.  Source: Health Protection Agency 
		
	
	In addition, data from the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) shows that between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2007, among those aged 13-24, there were 565,424 tests for chlamydia, 496,594 confirmed negatives and 54,017 confirmed positive diagnoses.
	
		
			  Breakdown of confirmed positive chlamydia diagnoses among those aged 13-24 by year in England 
			   Number of positive tests 
			 2003-04 1,756 
			 2004-05 6,784 
			 2005-06 11,003 
			 2006-07 15,993 
			 2007-08(1) 18,481 
			 Total 54,017 
			 (1) Data are only available up until 31 December 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of confirmed positive chlamydia diagnoses and rates per 100,000 population aged 13-24 in England: April 2005-March 2007 
			   April 2005-March 2006  April 2006-March 2007 
			 Number of positive tests 11,003 15,993 
			 Total population(1) aged 13-24 years 7,887,127 7,887,127 
			 Confirmed positive diagnoses per 100,000 population 139.5 202.8 
			 (1) Population estimates refers to 2005 Office for National Statistics population estimates for those aged 13-24 years.  Notes: 1. The data are from NCSP registered screening venues and includes the Boots pathfinder project. Data as of 29 January 2008 2. The NCSP screens those aged under 25 years. 3. The NCSP began screening on 1 April 2003 and so data are only available from that date onwards. 4. The NCSP collects number of tests and not number of people tested. We assume that number of tests is a close proxy for number of people tested as re-testing is rare. 5. The data available from the NCSP are the number of diagnoses made and not the number of patients diagnosed.  Source: NCSP.

Strokes

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of stroke was in each  (a) strategic health authority area,  (b) primary care trust area,  (c) Westminster constituency,  (d) English region and  (e) socio-demographic group in each year since 2002.

Ann Keen: Hospital episode statistics (HES) from 2005-06 suggest there were around 100,000 emergency admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of stroke. However, this figure under-represents the true incidence of stroke for two reasons. Firstly, HES data only includes those who were admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of stroke but not all stroke patients currently attend hospital. Secondly, the count of admissions does not represent the total number of patients as a person may be admitted more than once in the year. HES data cannot answer the question in the form requested. Academic estimates suggest there are around 110,000 strokes in England per annum.
	Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.

Suicide

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the evidence on the effects of media reporting on the incidence of suicide.

Ivan Lewis: There is already compelling evidence, from research conducted in the United Kingdom and abroad, that the reporting and portrayal of suicide in the media can lead to copycat suicides, especially amongst young people or those already at risk. For this reason, the "National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England" made a commitment to improve the reporting of suicide in the media as one of its key aims.
	As part of this commitment, on 18 February the Department published a handbook for journalists, "What's the Story? Reporting Mental Health and Suicide" to help the media improve public understanding of mental illness. This handbook highlights international evidence that careless reporting of suicide may trigger copycat suicides and it provides advice to journalists to encourage more sensitive and responsible coverage.
	In addition, in June 2006 the Press Complaints Commission added a sub-clause in the "Editor's Code of Practice" to discourage the reporting in the media of excessive detail of suicide methods.

Surgery

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions surgeons have operated on the incorrect person in the National Health Service in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: National health service staff can report wrong site or wrong patient surgery incidents to the National Patient Safety Agency's (NPSA) reporting system (the national reporting and learning system). However, the NPSA has not, to date, received any reports of surgeons operating on the wrong patient.

PRIME MINISTER

Official Residences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister which official ministerial residence is unoccupied.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) and the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1135W.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Assets

David Howarth: To ask the Solicitor-General what extra receipts are expected to accrue as a result of the increase in funding for activity in asset recovery contained in the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2007-08.

Vera Baird: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The Crown Prosecution Service, Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and Serious Fraud Office all receive a share of funding to incentivise the confiscation element of asset recovery. It is not possible to identify a specific return on specific investment, as asked. Confiscation is a co-operative activity involving investigators and court enforcement as well as prosecutors and the results from individual cases can take some time to feed through. But the funding supports the significant and increasing role which prosecutors play in meeting the Government's target of doubling the amount of money it recovers from criminals from £125 million in 2006-07 to £250 million in 2009-10.
	The increases will fund all aspects of confiscation activity, including protecting assets from dissipation during the lifetime of a case, securing confiscation orders once offenders have been convicted and in a number of instances enforcing orders.

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how much was paid by her Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by her Department to Capita Group plc in each year from 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The amounts paid by the Law Officers' Departments to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   AGO  CPS  HMCPSI  RCPO  SFO  T Sol  Total 
			 2000-01 6,193 148,000 — — 340 92,970 247,503 
			 2001-02 6,960 456,000 — — 10,460 247,778 721,198 
			 2002-03 0 542,000 — — 3,954 556,171 1,102,125 
			 2003-04 -402 1,679,000 28,649 — 1,090 324,130 2,032,467 
			 2004-05 1,570 627,000 70,693 — 16,500 274,118 989,881 
			 2005-06 0 527,000 22,768 45,180 175,116 151,829 921,893 
			 2006-07 0 594,000 41,170 109,831 740,987 57,912 1,543,900 
			 Total 14,321 4,573,000 163,280 155,011 948,447 1,704,908 7,558,967 
		
	
	With regard to the remaining questions, the services of Capita Group plc are used for a variety of purposes, including: storage facilities, conference fees, temporary staff, recruitment activity, training, consultancy and occupational health services by the Law Officers' Departments, but there is no central record held that allows the relevant information to be obtained, save at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General what percentage of her Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Vera Baird: Details of expenditure which can be given without incurring disproportionate costs are given in the following table:
	
		
			   CPS  RCPO  SFO  T Sol( 1) 
			 2000-01 — — — 0.1 
			 2001-02 — — — 0.3 
			 2002-03 — — — 0.3 
			 2003-04 — — 0.025 0.2 
			 2004-05 0.04 — 0.083 0.1 
			 2005-06 0.10 0.0 0.105 0.2 
			 2006-07 0.07 0.07 0.127 0.2 
			 (1) Includes Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Attorney General's Office.  Note: Expenditure on advertising has been mainly in relation to recruitment. 
		
	
	The specialist Bona Vacantia division of the Treasury Solicitor's Department regularly places advertisements in the press seeking kin in cases where individuals have died intestate with no apparent claimants to the estate under administration. The costs for this activity are treated as an expense on the Crown Nominee's Account that is presented separately to Parliament.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General how much the Law Officers' Departments paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Vera Baird: The available information is as follows:
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) runs a special bonus scheme, which aims to reward exceptional individual or team performance. The following data were extracted from the CPS payroll system, which was introduced in October 2004. The CPS cannot provide information prior to 2004 without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Between October 2004 and December 2007, a total of £2,650 was paid to press and communication officers, grades A to E:
	In 2004—no bonuses were paid;
	In 2005—one bonus of £500 was paid;
	In 2006—three bonuses were paid of which the lowest was £200 and the highest was £250; and
	In 2007—three bonuses were paid of which the lowest was £200 and the highest £1,000.
	The Serious Fraud Office rewarded individual press and communication officers as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Total  Lowest  Highest 
			 2002 500 100 400 
			 2003 25 25 25 
			 2004 75 25 25 
			 2005 25 25 25 
			 2006 0 — — 
			 2007 50 50 50 
		
	
	These awards are made for instant, merit and annual bonuses. Earlier information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In the Treasury Solicitor's Department, (TSol) staffing records relating to job titles and job descriptions (rather than grade) have only become available since April 2007, since the introduction of a Human Resources Database. Therefore, no information before this date can be provided.
	Currently, there are three posts in the Attorney-General's Office (AGO) press office team (which also performs press office functions on behalf of TSol), two of which are filled by temporary staff. As with other permanent staff, the permanent press office team are eligible to receive bonuses as part of annual performance pay arrangements, with the amounts varying depending on level of performance. For 2007, the bonus amounts in TSol were £200 or £500.
	In her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office, no bonuses have been paid.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General whether any special advisers in the Law Officers' Departments have outside appointments.

Vera Baird: No special advisers are employed in the Law Officers' Departments.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General 
	(1)  how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of the Departments' overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year;
	(2)  how many overseas visits by officials in the Law Officers' Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Vera Baird: All foreign travel under taken by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the "Civil Service Management Code".
	The information is as follows:
	 Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
	CPS spent the following amounts on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years and the table shows the percentage of the Department's overall expenditure spent on such travel in each of those years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Within UK (£000)  Outside UK (£000)  Within UK (%)  Outside UK (%) 
			 1997-98 3,208 29 1.08 0.01 
			 1998-99 3,305 25 1.01 0.01 
			 1999-2000 3,867 39 1.15 0.01 
			 2000-01 4,537 77 1.24 0.02 
			 2001-02 5,305 144 1.21 0.03 
			 2002-03 6,208 167 1.28 0.03 
			 2003-04 6,428 196 1.17 0.04 
			 2004-05 6,227 271 1.04 0.05 
			 2005-06 6,377 318 1.00 0.05 
			 2006-07 6,786 315 1.03 0.05 
		
	
	For the years 1997-98 to 2003-04 the outside UK figures reflect only overseas travel costs, thereafter the costs of overseas accommodation are also included.
	The CPS spent the following amounts on overseas visits in each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Amount spent (£000) 
			 1997-98 29 
			 1998-99 25 
			 1999-2000 39 
			 2000-01 77 
			 2001-02 144 
			 2002-03 167 
			 2003-04 196 
			 2004-05 271 
			 2005-06 318 
			 2006-07 315 
		
	
	For the years 1997-98 to 2003-04 the figures reflect only overseas travel costs, thereafter the costs of overseas accommodation are also included.
	The CPS does not have details of the number of visits made or the countries visited by officials in the last 10 years. From May 2007, the CPS commenced a new contract for the provision of overseas travel, and they do not have access to travel information from the previous supplier. This information could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
	 Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO)
	RCPO was created on 18 April 2005.
	During 2005-06, £212,255.39 was spent on domestic travel and subsistence, and £18,841.10 was spent on travel outside the UK. These expenditures represented 0.67 per cent. of RCPO's annual expenditure.
	During 2006-07, £323,381.95 was spent on domestic travel and subsistence, and £24,588.78 was spent on travel outside the UK. These expenditures represented 0.92 per cent. of RCPO's annual expenditure.
	During 2005-06, 30 overseas trips were made at a cost of £18,841.10.
	During 2006-07, 41 overseas trips were made at a cost of £24,588.78.
	Countries visited were: Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Hong Kong, Denmark, France, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Spain and USA.
	 Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
	The SFO's officials have spent the following amounts and percentages of the Serious Fraud Office's overall expenditure on travel within and outside the UK in each of the last 10 years:
	
		
			  £000 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 UK 188 209 276 367 383 323 432 325 369 
			 Overseas 55 115 191 202 110 204 186 317 258 
			 Total cost 243 324 467 569 493 527 618 642 628 
			 % UK and O/S travel 1.51 2.05 2.33 2.57 1.87 1.86 1.92 1.61 1.55 
		
	
	The SFO does not keep a central register of how many overseas visits its officials undertook nor countries visited. The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 Treasury Solicitor (includes Attorney - General ' s Office and HMCPS I)
	Expenditure on travel by the Treasury Solicitor's Department met from public funds for each of the last 10 years has been as follows:
	
		
			   (a) travel within the UK  (b) travel outside the UK 
			   Expenditure  % of overall spend  Expenditure  % of overall spend 
			 1997-98 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998-99 55,318 0.39 28,898 0.18 
			 1999-2000 66,158 0.40 15,012 0.14 
			 2000-01 90,986 0.44 26,058 0.06 
			 2001-02 245,046 0.48 33,458 0.18 
			 2002-03 208,660 0.47 67,732 0.15 
			 2003-04 245,361 0.64 90,163 0.09 
			 2004-05 243,732 0.30 35,916 0.09 
			 2005-06 221,333 0.24 77,334 0.06 
			 2006-07 255,512 0.25 117,519 0.13 
		
	
	The information is not readily available for 1997-98 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The expenditure on overseas travel by the Treasury Solicitor's Department met from public funds for each of the last 10 years has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1997-98 ? 
			 1998-99 28,898 
			 1999-2000 15,012 
			 2000-01 26,058 
			 2001-02 33,458 
			 2002-03 67,732 
			 2003-04 90,163 
			 2004-05 35,916 
			 2005-06 77,334 
			 2006-07 117,519 
		
	
	Expenditure information for 1997-98 and information on the number of overseas visits and countries visited by officials is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects to answer Question  (a) 181540 and  (b) 181595 on departmental travel, tabled on 21 January 2008 by the hon. Member for Taunton; and what the reason for the time taken to respond is.

Vera Baird: These questions have been answered today (3 March).

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General 
	(1)  how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by her Department in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by the Law Officers' Departments in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Vera Baird: My Department has neither owned nor purchased vehicles in this period.
	The Serious Fraud Office is aware of one parking ticket for £100 issued in April 2006.
	The Law Officers' Departments do not routinely hold such records as it is not their policy to reimburse fines incurred by employees. There has therefore been no cost to the public purse in this period.

HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor: Manpower

David Howarth: To ask the Solicitor-General what posts  (a) have been and  (b) are expected to be created as a result of increases in expenditure on HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor in the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2007-08.

Vera Baird: holding answer 22 February 2008
	In 2007-08 the Chief Secretary to the Treasury agreed an additional 10 posts for the Treasury Solicitors Department Agency. In the Attorney General's Office increased funding is for 4.5 posts in the Attorney General's Office itself and creation of a further 2.5 posts for establishing the National Fraud Strategic Authority. The increases in expenditure in the spring supplementary estimate only in part cover increases in posts.

Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office: Finance

David Howarth: To ask the Solicitor-General from which projects funding has been withdrawn as the result of the increase of £1,000,000 in capital spending to cover establishment costs for the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office IT project and the capitalisation of the majority of refurbishment costs, as announced in the Spring 2007-08 Supplementary Estimates.

Vera Baird: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office has not withdrawn funding from any projects as a result of its increase in capital spending. The additional capital budget has been drawn from unallocated reserves established under end year flexibility procedures.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Archaeology

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect that the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council's decision to fund the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) at the existing level in 2008-09 may have on the existing number of jobs at the PAS; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 21 February 2008
	 The decision of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to maintain current levels of funding for the portable antiquities scheme in 2008-09, in the context of a tight spending review, recognises the importance of the scheme. Any assessment of the effect of future funding provision on the scheme is a matter for the MLA, which is working together with other stakeholders to ensure the scheme's continued success.

Archaeology: Finance

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been made available for the portable antiquities scheme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
	In recognition of the importance of the scheme, the MLA has undertaken to maintain current funding levels for the PAS for 2008-09. This represents a good offer in the context of a tight spending review for the MLA. Any decision on future funding for the scheme is a matter for the MLA.

Archaeology: Wales

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the chief executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on the future of the portable antiquities scheme in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the portable antiquities scheme and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met the chief executive of the MLA to discuss this matter. In my capacity as Minister for Culture I have regular meetings with MLA's chief executive. During the course of these meetings we have discussed funding issues for the MLA as a whole. The portable antiquities scheme (PAS) is funded by the MLA, so the impact of funding levels on the scheme is a matter for them.

Archaeology: Wales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many archaeological finds made in Wales have been recorded under the portable antiquities scheme.

Margaret Hodge: As of 26 February 2008, 17,702 Welsh archaeological finds found by the public have been recorded with the portable antiquities scheme.

Archaeology: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many funds liaison officers (FLOs) cover Wales; what recent assessment he has made of FLOs' performance in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2008
	 The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
	One finds liaison officer covers Wales. The PAS also makes small grants to four Welsh Archaeological Trusts (Cambria-Dyfed Archaeological Trust, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust) to record archaeological finds found by the public. The finds liaison officers for Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside and Herefordshire and Shropshire also visit metal-detecting clubs in Wales and record finds made by Welsh finders.
	The PAS is funded by the MLA and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any assessment regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum.

Archaeology: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of the portable antiquities scheme in Wales in each of the last three years; what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2008
	 The total costs for the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) in Wales in the last three years were 47,556.02 in 2004-05; 59,325.78 in 2005-06; and 47,863.87 in 2006-07.
	The PAS is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any assessment regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum.

Arts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 313-4W, on the arts, how many people each percentage figure in the tables represents.

Margaret Hodge: pursuant to the reply , 18 February 2008, Official Report, c.  313-4W
	The tables previously supplied are repeated with additional information relating to population. The tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who did not attend or participate in the arts during the 12 months prior to interview. Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	
		
			  Arts non-participation 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 54 2,110 54 2,110 
			 Limiting disability 53 4,570 53 4,510 
			 Lower socio-economic 58 9,150 59 9,380 
			 All adults 47 18,500 48 19,020 
		
	
	
		
			  Arts non-attendance 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority 41 1,610 43 1,700 
			 Limiting disability 46 3,920 46 3,870 
			 Lower socio-economic 48 7,500 48 7,670 
			 All adults 34 13,290 34 13,400 
		
	
	Using the latest data available, the following tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who currently did attend and participate in the arts in the 12 months prior to interview. Again, these are the tables previously supplied but with additional information relating to population.
	
		
			  Arts participation 
			   2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 46 1,830 
			 Limiting disability 47 3,980 
			 Lower socio-economic 41 6,550 
			 All adults 52 20,880 
		
	
	
		
			  Arts attendance 
			   2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 57 2,230 
			 Limiting disability 54 4,610 
			 Lower socio-economic 52 8,270 
			 All adults 66 26,500 
		
	
	All data are taken from the DCMS 'Taking Part' survey, which provides national data on participation in arts activities and attendance at arts events by adults aged 16 and over.

Arts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 314-5W, on the arts, how many people each percentage figure in the tables represents.

Margaret Hodge: [pursuant to the reply, 18 February 2008, Official Report, c . 313-5W: The tables previously supplied are repeated with additional information relating to population.
	The tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who attended and participated in the arts at least twice during the 12 months prior to interview. This relates to the frequency of engagement rather than the number of activities attended/participated in. Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	
		
			  Arts participation 
			   2005-06( 1)  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 42 1,560 39 1,520 
			 Limiting disability 40 3,460 40 3,430 
			 Lower socio-economic 36 5,630 35 5,570 
			 All adults 46 18,360 45 17,790 
		
	
	
		
			  Arts  attendance 
			   2005-06( 1)  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 41 1,530 39 1,540 
			 Limiting disability 39 3,320 38 3,240 
			 Lower socio-economic 34 5,220 33 5,200 
			 All adults 50 19,930 49 19,520 
			 (1) Data are available for six months only in 2005-06 due to a change in question wording. Population figures (thousand) have been scaled up to represent the full year. 
		
	
	All data are taken from the DCMS 'Taking Part' survey, which provides national data on participation in arts activities and attendance at arts events by adults aged 16 and over.

Arts: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what long-term strategy his Department has in place for the balance of funding for national institutions in the arts and heritage sector between grant-in-aid and other forms of funding.

Margaret Hodge: The future health of the arts and heritage sectors will be dependent on securing optimal levels of public and private investment. Sustained investment from central and local government, the National Lottery, business, private individuals and trusts and foundations will all play an important role in the long-term support of our cultural heritage.
	Grant in aid for the next three years has now been allocated following the completion of the comprehensive spending review. My Department is working with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that our investment is complemented by funding from other sources.

Arts: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of donations made to national institutions in the arts and heritage sector by private sponsors can be reclaimed as tax relief.

Margaret Hodge: Tax issues are of course the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my Department works closely with the Treasury on matters such as the current review of Gift Aid. A broad range of tax reliefs are available to private donors and sponsors of bodies in the arts and heritage sector. These will vary depending on the tax status of each donor. We are keen to ensure appropriate incentives for giving to culture and to secure greater take-up of measures such as Gift Aid across the sector.

Casinos: Licensing

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many casino applications under the Gaming Act 1968 are pending determination by the Gambling Commission.

Andy Burnham: At 28 February 2008 there were nine applications for a casino Certificate of Consent pending determination or issue by the Gambling Commission under the Gaming Act 1968. Seven of the applications were in respect of new casinos and the other two were substitute premises for existing casinos.

Cultural Heritage

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what progress has been made towards his Department's public service agreement target to increase significantly the number of people from priority groups visiting designated historic environment sites; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people aged under 16 years and above  (a) from black and minority ethnic groups,  (b) with a limiting disability,  (c) from lower socio-economic groups and  (d) in total who visited designated historic environment sites in each year for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: The DCMS 'Taking Part' survey is being used to measure progress against this Public Service Agreement.
	The most recent results published in December 2007 are in the table. They provide a comparison between the baseline figures and the second year results of the survey. The statistics show no significant change from year 1 to year 2.
	The historic environment indicator is defined as at least one attendance at a designated site during the past 12 months.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Year 1  Year 2 
			 Black and minority ethnic 50.7 48.3 
			 Limiting disability 59.5 60.2 
			 Lower socio-economic 57.1 57.3 
			 All adults 69.9 69.3 
		
	
	We are working closely with the cultural sector's strategic delivery bodiesArts Council England, English Heritage and the Museums Libraries and Archives Councilto ensure that we maximise our impact on increasing participation rates.
	These bodies deliver through a range of programmes and initiatives with cultural organisations at regional and local level. This includes: investment in programmes such as Renaissance in the Regions, which has seen visits to local museums and galleries by people from the PSA3 priority groups up by over 30 per cent. since 2002-03; free admission to formerly charging sponsored museums in Englandwhere attendance has gone up by 98 per cent. since 2001; record investment in Arts Council England's regularly funded organisations of 326 million this year; and Heritage Open Days, the annual English Heritage-funded scheme run by the Civic Trust, in which over 35,000 volunteers share their knowledge and memories with up to 1 million visitors every year, making this England's largest voluntary cultural event.

Culture Online

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) hits and  (b) unique visitors were recorded by Culture Online in each year since it was established, broken down by project website.

Margaret Hodge: Hits and unique visitors recorded by Culture Online in each year since it was established, broken down by project website, are set out in the tables. Culture Online closed at the end of March 2007. Four projects did not record hitsMadforArts, Origination, Plant Cultures and Playground Fun. Unique visitors were not recorded for two projectsMy Art Space and The Dark.
	
		
			  (a) Hits 
			  Project  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Artisan Cam  2,037,463 10,741,495 39,092 (January) 
			 City Heritage Guides 979,737 (September-December) 3,732,097 (January-August)   
			 Every Object Tells a Story  3,877,074 5,136,846 867,184 (January-February) 
			 Film Street   3,282,973 (April-December) 982,407 (January-February) 
			 Headline History  11,947,662 12,403,902 2,066,348 (January-February) 
			 Icons   97,035,864 20,949,368 (January-February) 
			 MadforArts 
			 MyArtSpace   1,532,622 235,493 (January-February) 
			 Origination 
			 Plant Cultures 
			 Playground Fun 
			 Rosetta Requiem   235,158 21,026 (January-February) 
			 Sound Junction  1,368,491 (October-December) 8,260,131 2,757,194 (January-February) 
			 Stagework 714,468 1,745,659 2,290,630 313,520 (January-February) 
			 The Dark  108,449 (February-December) 8,800 (January)  
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Unique Visitors 
			  Project  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Artisan Cam  22,370 75,433 1,085 (January) 
			 City Heritage Guides 46,040 (September-December) 200,811 (January-August)   
			 Every Object Tells a Story  69,321 297,940 65,115 
			 Film Street   38,623 (April-December) 14,084 (January-February) 
			 Headline History  94,629 70,117 15,774 (January-February) 
			 Icons   827,534 267,012 (January-February) 
			 MadforArts 18,745 (September-December) 196,493   
			 MyArtSpace 
			 Origination  21,523 20,385 (January-October)  
			 Plant Cultures  284,011 (March-December) 671,576 (January-October)  
			 Playground Fun  15,028 (August-December) 23,148 (January-February, October-December) 14,916 (January-February) 
			 Rosetta Requiem   8,809 1,177 (January-February) 
			 Sound Junction  11,478 (October-December) 89,264 30,642 January-February) 
			 Stagework 20,326 94,408 118,542 12,356 (January-February) 
			 The Dark

Culture Online

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on Culture Online in each year since its was established.

Margaret Hodge: Expenditure on Culture Online in each year since it was established is set out in the table. Culture Online closed at the end of March 2007.
	
		
			
			 2002-03 265,379 
			 2003-04 1,439,034 
			 2004-05 3,893,000 
			 2005-06 2,657,000 
			 2006-07 4,205,000 
			 2007-08 spend to date 72,312

Culture: Sponsorship

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the long-term potential for corporate sponsorship as a source of funding in the cultural sector.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 February 2008
	Corporate sponsorship is a vital element of the overall funding mix for the cultural sector. In 2006-07, business investment in the arts totalled over 170 million. We believe there is considerable scope to enhance that investment in the future, and my Department is working closely with the cultural and business communities to explore how best to do so to their mutual benefit.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to reduce his Department's carbon dioxide emissions in the next financial year.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has devised a plan which has identified potential savings of 562 tonnes of CO2 by March 2009.
	In particular, the Department plans to replace its gas boilers with ones which are more efficient. This will significantly reduce our carbon emissions.
	We are seeking advice from the Carbon Trust on this.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what private finance initiative projects were approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years; and what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each.

Margaret Hodge: The capital value and start date for every signed PFI project are recorded centrally on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_ partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm

Listed Buildings: Ibsley Control Tower

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason the recommendation by English Heritage on the listing of Ibsley Control Tower has not been pursued; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: After careful consideration of all the relevant information, including advice from English Heritage, the Secretary of State has decided that the Watch Tower at RAF Ibsley does not have sufficient architectural or historic interest, in a national context, to merit listing.

Government Departments: Flags

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when his Department plans to publish the summary of responses to its consultation process on flying the Union Flag from UK Government buildings.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport plans to publish the summary of responses to the consultation soon.

Heathrow Airport: Standards

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of standards of operation at Heathrow Airport on the attractiveness of the UK as a tourist destination.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has not undertaken any specific work to measure the effect of Heathrow's standards of operation. However, my Department and its partners are well aware of the importance of good standards of operation at ports of entry, including Heathrow.
	Improving the welcome to the UK is one of my Department's priorities for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and VisitBritain has set up the 'Welcome to Britain' group to take this work forward. For example, since January, the Civil Aviation Authority has included additional questions about the quality of welcome in its 'Departing Airport Survey', which is conducted at a number of airports, including Heathrow. Organisations which can influence the visitor's experience at Heathrow, including the British Airports Authority (BAA) and the Home Office, are members of this group. I have also raised welcome issues with representatives of BAA at a meeting in January.

Internet: Children

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to encourage internet service providers to provide content suitable for children.

Margaret Hodge: There are a vast array of websites which provide suitable content for children. However we do want to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to prevent the exposure of children to inappropriate material. This is why the Prime Minister has asked Dr. Tanya Byron to lead a review considering the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material on the internet. She is also considering video games in her review. She will be submitting her report and making recommendations for improvements or additional action in March.

Listed Buildings

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government is considering proposals to review the existing listing criteria for buildings of special architectural or historic interest that are less than 75 years old.

Margaret Hodge: All buildings considered for listing are judged according to the national statutory criteria of special architectural and historic interest. We have no specific proposals to review these criteria, but anticipate a full debate on the subject when the draft Heritage Protection Bill is published for pre-legislative scrutiny in the spring.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with  (a) Cabinet colleagues,  (b) representatives of other Government departments,  (c) the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games 2012 and  (d) the Olympic Development Agency on (i) ethical and fair trade issues and (ii) the use of child labour in the manufacturing of merchandise for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and on which dates such discussions took place.

Andy Burnham: I have had no such discussions. This is the responsibility of the Minister for the Olympics. I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Olympics gave to him on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 115-16W.

Overseas Visitors: China

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by Chinese tourists visiting England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: The table shows the average expenditure per visit by Chinese residents visiting England for the latest available five years.
	
		
			  Average expenditure( 1)  per visit to England by overseas residents 
			  China   
			 2002 981 
			 2003 1,261 
			 2004 1,096 
			 2005 1,178 
			 2006 910 
			 (1) Expenditure excludes fares for travel to and from the UK.  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Overseas Visitors: North America

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by North American tourists visiting England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: The table shows the average expenditure per visit by North American residents visiting England for the latest available five years.
	
		
			  Average expenditure( 1)  per visit to England by overseas residents 
			   
			   North America  USA  Canada 
			 2002 615 639 472 
			 2003 633 659 493 
			 2004 620 622 606 
			 2005 636 665 497 
			 2006 667 700 509 
			 (1) Expenditure excludes fares for travel to and from the UK.  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Overseas Visitors: Russia

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by Russian tourists visiting England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: The table shows the average expenditure per visit by Russian residents visiting England for the latest available five years.
	
		
			  Average expenditure( 1)  per visit to England by overseas residents 
			  Russia   
			 2002 1,049 
			 2003 1,154 
			 2004 1,039 
			 2005 779 
			 2006 968 
			 (1) Expenditure excludes fares for travel to and from the UK.  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Public Libraries

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the public library service standards will be incorporated into the national indicator set for local authorities; and whether the standards will continue as benchmarks for library authorities.

Margaret Hodge: The Public Library Service Standards (PLSS) will not form part of the national indicator set for local authorities. A new measure, capturing use of public libraries by residents, is included under National Indicator 9, Stronger Communities.
	The PLSS will be replaced by the new library benchmark, which has been developed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL). The benchmark contains 23 criteria which library practitioners might consider when planning and improving their service. It will enable libraries to compare their local performance against other authorities, against themselves over time, and against the national position. The benchmark will encourage the sector to identify and share best practice. Central Government will not use the library benchmark to monitor library authority performance but the information will be collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and published annually in their report Public Library Statistics.

Listed Buildings: Totnes Railway Station

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will prevent the demolition of the Brunel pumping station at Totnes railway station; and if he will request English Heritage to list the building as a Grade II building.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 February 2008
	Following careful consideration of all the relevant evidence, including advice from English Heritage, the Secretary of State decided on 16 November that the pumping station, Totnes, was not of sufficient special architectural or historic interest to merit listing. The Secretary of State upheld this decision on 22 February 2008 following a review of the case.
	Listing a building does not necessarily prevent its demolition. The purpose of listing is to ensure that care will be taken over any decision affecting the building and that the case for its preservation is taken fully into account in considering the merits of any development proposals.

Tourism: Advertising

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was allocated to advertising UK tourism on  (a) US and  (b) Australian television in 2006-07.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 22 February 2008
	VisitBritain has spent over 1.9 million on marketing and support marketing in the US. It has spent the same amount in Australia for the same purposes.
	The marketing budget for each country in 2006-07 was split with the bulk being spent on online marketing and printed media.
	There was no funding allocated for television advertising in either country.

Tourism: Balance of Payments

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the balance of payments in tourism in 2007.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 Information published on 15 February from the Office for National Statistics' International Passenger Survey showed that the tourism balance of payments deficit for tourism for the 12 months to December 2007 was 19.4 billion.
	The deficit for the final quarter of 2007 was 4.8 billion, 120 million lower than that for the same period in 2006.

Tourism: Northumberland

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the value of expenditure made by overseas tourists visiting  (a) County Durham and  (b) Northumberland in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is contained in the table. Figures for County Durham and Northumberland for 2007 are not available.
	
		
			  Spend by overseas residents 
			   million 
			   2005  2006 
			 County Durham 43 34 
			 Northumberland 19 14 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS)

Tourism: Standards

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what means his Department benchmarks the UK's performance in attracting overseas visitors against other European countries; and if he will publish the results of the latest such benchmarking exercise.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 February 2008
	DCMS does not benchmark the level of overseas visitors to the UK against other European countries. In a rapidly changing international travel environment, with new destinations and national markets emerging rapidly, the UK's share of the world market is a more meaningful measure of performance. The 32.2 million inbound visitors to the UK in 2006 made up 3.6 per cent. of the world total, and their spending at 15.4 billion was 4 per cent. of world turnover. These percentages were up 0.1 per cent. and 0.2 per cent. respectively on 2005.
	For purposes of illustration, visits to the UK rose by 28.2 per cent. over 1997 to 2007, according to the Office for National Statistics' International Passenger Survey, compared to increases in number of arrivals over the same period in France (18.8 per cent.), Italy (20.5 per cent.), and Spain (34.6 per cent.).

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation: Fires

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many bed and breakfast establishments have had fires caused by guests in the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on the number of fires involving guests, solely in bed and breakfast establishments in England is unavailable. However, statistics on the number of fatal and non-fatal casualties in accidental fires in commercially run establishments (with sleeping accommodation) (2002-06) is in the following table. The statistics include fires in hotels and boarding houses as well as bed and breakfast establishments and are not limited solely to guests as a breakdown of the data held to this level is not possible.
	
		
			  Table 1: Accidental fires and casualties in commercially run establishments (with sleeping accommodation), England 2002-06( 1) 
			   Total 
			  2002  
			 Fires 692 
			 Fatal casualties 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 44 
			   
			  2003  
			 Fires 583 
			 Fatal casualties 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 52 
			   
			  2004  
			 Fires 670 
			 Fatal casualties 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 35 
			   
			  2005  
			 Fires 514 
			 Fatal casualties 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 29 
			   
			  2006  
			 Fires 572 
			 Fatal casualties 1 
			 Non fatal casualties 66 
			 (1) Provisional   Notes:  1. Including hotels, boarding houses and Bed and Breakfast establishments.  2. Excluding incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.  3 Figures for 2006 are provisional and subject to change.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation: Fires

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fires in bed and breakfast establishments have been caused by cigarette smoking in the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 29 February 2008
	Information on the number of fires caused by cigarette smoking, solely in bed and breakfast establishments, in England, is unavailable. However, statistics on the number of fires in commercially run establishments (with sleeping accommodation) where smoking materials were cause of fire (2002-06) is in the following tables. The statistics include fires in hotels and boarding houses as well as bed and breakfast establishments.
	
		
			  Table 1: Accidental fires and casualties in commercially run establishments (with sleeping accommodation) by source of ignition. England 2002-06 
			   Total  Smokers' materials  Cigarette lighters  Matches  Cooking appliances  Space heating appliances 
			  2002   
			 Fires 692 119 8 6 168 43 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 44 10 1 0 11 3 
			  2003   
			 Fires 583 94 1 1 163 16 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 52 13 0 0 6 2 
			
			  2004   
			 Fires 670 65 1 1 172 27 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 35 11 0 0 8 2 
			
			  2005   
			 Fires 514 61 2 3 151 12 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 29 6 1 0 12 1 
			
			  2006   
			 Fires 572 71 0 2 144 20 
			 Fatal casualties 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 66 8 0 0 12 1 
		
	
	
		
			   Central and blowlamps  
			   Water heating appliances  Welding and cutting equipment  Electrical distribution  Other electrical appliances  Candles  Other  Unspecified 
			  2002
			 Fires 29 26 53 168 22 49 0 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 0 2 5 6 3 3 0 
			 
			  2003
			 Fires 9 7 58 141 42 29 28 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 0 0 2 16 9 3 1 
			 
			  2004
			 Fires 29 15 65 208 30 42 15 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 1 0 2 9 0 1 1 
			 
			  2005
			 Fires 18 11 55 143 20 29 9 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 2 0 2 3 2 0 0 
			 
			  2006
			 Fires 36 6 74 136 14 35 35 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 0 2 5 29 3 0 4 
			 (1 )Provisional.   Notes:  1. Including hotels, boarding houses and Bed and Breakfast establishments.  2. Excluding incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.  3. Figures for 2006 are provisional and subject to change.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government where her Department plans to pilot specialist cohesion teams to support local authorities facing cohesion challenges; how many people the teams will comprise; what support they will provide; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: We have yet to develop detailed plans to take forward the commitment to support local authorities in promoting community cohesion by developing specialist cohesion teams to support those areas experiencing rapid change and other cohesion challenges. We will be consulting with local government on proposals over the next few months.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has to work with the Academy for Sustainable Communities to build on existing cohesion programmes; and what plans the Academy has to improve the skills of planning and housing practitioners on integration and cohesion matters.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Academy for Sustainable Communities is potentially well-placed to improve awareness and practice among local authorities and practitioners to drive local action on community cohesion. Its existing cross-professional and cross-sector reach provides a mechanism for developing shared understanding and strategies to tackle common challenges. It has commissioned a community cohesion research project. The aim of the research is to demystify the language and key issues that surround cohesion and create a learning resource that can be used by all in the sector. The project will clarify the critical steps that proactively address cohesion as an embedded part of building sustainable communities. The project will then develop appropriate learning resources and guidance for these key professionals. Communities and Local Government is working with the Academy to ensure that the outcomes of the cohesion research project are aligned with the Department's forthcoming Cohesion Delivery Framework so that these two resources complement each other.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department plans to publish the guidance for local authorities on tension monitoring referred to in the Government's response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.

Parmjit Dhanda: We expect to publish guidance for local authorities on tension monitoring shortly.

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to decide how the 8 million cohesion element of the Connecting Communities Plus grant programme referred to in the Government's response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion will be distributed; what type of projects these grants will support; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Decisions about the future use of 8 million relating to the Connecting Communities Plus grant programme, which has community cohesion as one of its four themes and runs till the end of the financial year 2008-09, will be taken next year.

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which regional improvement efficiency partnerships (RIEPs) will receive funding from the 3 million allocated for 2008 to 2011 to develop local capacity to tackle community cohesion challenges; what criteria will be used to allocate funding to them; what funding is planned for each local authority within each RIEP; on what criteria this funding will be allocated; on what type of projects these funds will be spent; how the effectiveness of the spending will be evaluated; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Decisions about distribution of this funding between regional improvement efficiency partnerships (RIEPs) will be made in the light of how cohesion is prioritized in their strategies for 2008-09 to 2010-11, and the inclusion of cohesion improvement targets in local area agreements running for the same period. Once the basis on which funding is to be allocated is established, it will be for RIEPs to decide, in consultation with local areas, and taking into account performance against local area agreement targets, how the funding will be used. The implementation of the RIEPs' strategies for 2008-09 to 2010-11 will be the subject of annual reports by the RIEPs. The detail of how these reports will cover the effectiveness of support for cohesion is subject to further discussion with the Local Government Association.

Community Relations: Standards

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the effectiveness of the community empowerment action plan referred to in the Government's response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion will be assessed; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The actions identified in the Community Empowerment Action Plan will play a key part in delivering public service agreement 21, building more cohesive, empowered and active communities. The effectiveness of the action plan will therefore be assessed within the PSA framework.

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in her Department have been authorised to work from home in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department launched a revised flexible working policy in July 2007, under which all staff can apply for home working, whether or not they have a statutory right to request a flexible working pattern.
	Since home working is agreed at a local level HR do not keep a central record of home working arrangements. However, work taking place on our Personnel Information Management System will allow staff to record their flexible working patterns.
	In additional to formal home working arrangements, staff can request occasional home working for short periods. This would be an informal arrangement with their line manager which is not centrally recorded.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) staff and  (b) full-time equivalent staff under 18 years of age are employed by her Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: As at 31 January 2008 there were no staff aged under 18 years employed by this Department.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average hourly rate her Department and its predecessors paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Vehicles

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 15W, on departmental vehicles, how many of the vehicles in each category were made in the UK.

Parmjit Dhanda: The vehicles listed in the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 15W, were made in the following countries;
	
		
			  Vehicles  Country of manufacture 
			 MPVs (Multi Purpose Vehicles) USA 
			 IRU Vehicles (Incident Response Units) Germany 
			 DIM (Detection, Identification and Monitoring) Vehicles Italy 
			 Prime Mover Vehicles Germany 
		
	
	Fabrication of the bodywork for the IRU and Prime Movers was done in the UK.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information is collected from waste collection authorities on public satisfaction with the frequency of household rubbish collections.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	There are three Best Value User Satisfaction Indicators for waste: BVPI90a, covering satisfaction with household waste collection; BVPI90b, satisfaction with waste recycling with a focus on local facilities; and BVPI90c, satisfaction with waste disposal, concentrating on local tips etc.
	The National Indicator Set is limited to measures that help to achieve the Government's priority outcomes. Local authorities' duties and responsibilities remain unchanged. There are many services and activities undertaken by local government, alone or in partnership, which are not directly reflected in the National Indicator Set, but which continue to be important to local areas and the people who live there. It is more appropriate that these are performance managed locally; with local authorities setting priorities, determining performance indicators and monitoring and reviewing performance. This is part of the process of devolution that local government has been seeking.
	The latest national results for public satisfaction with local government and its services, with trends over time, by authority type and by region for each indicator, are available from the Department for Communities and Local Government's (CLG) website.
	A Place Survey run by CLG will be used to collect twenty of the citizen perspective indicators included in the National Indicator Set. This will be collected through a single survey, to be administered by local authorities, and will replace the Best Value User Satisfaction Surveys. We anticipate that the first Place Survey will be carried out this autumn. Government have recently carried out a consultation on this issue, which closed on 8 February.

English Language: Public Participation

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who sat on the two citizens' juries held jointly by her Department and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on English for Speakers of Other Languages held in December 2007; and how they were selected.

Parmjit Dhanda: The identities of individual members of the public who sit on citizens' juries are not disclosed for reasons of confidentiality. The juries selected for the two juries on English for speakers of other languages were selected to be broadly representative of the local population in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, social grade, work status and life-stage. 18 members of the public were recruited to take part in each of the two locations (17 attended in Hull and 18 in London).

EU Grants and Loans

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to receive advice from the EU on what the grant from the Solidarity Fund can be used for; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The scope of operations eligible under the EU Solidarity Fund are set out in Council Regulation (EC) No. 201/2002. This explains the aim of the Fund which is to complement the efforts of the states concerned and cover a share of their public expenditure in order to help them carry out the following essential emergency operations:
	 (a) immediate restoration to working order of infrastructure and plant in the fields of energy, water and waste water, telecommunications, transport, health and education;
	 (b) providing temporary accommodation and funding rescue services to meet the immediate needs of the population concerned;
	 (c) immediate securing of preventive infrastructures and measures of immediate protection of the cultural heritage;
	 (d) immediate cleaning up of disaster-stricken areas, including natural zones.
	Payments from the Fund are limited to finance works alleviating non insurable damages incurred by public bodies.

Eurostar

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its agencies spent on  (a) first and  (b) other class travel by Eurostar in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Services: Finance

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding has been provided by her Department to fire authorities to conduct fire safety audits in the last year.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has provided 25 million in capital funding over four years to fire and rescue authorities in England for home fire risk checks. For the final year of the grant programme, 2007-08, the grant totalled 10 million.

Fires: Warrington

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many calls to reports of fires on domestic premises in Warrington were made by Cheshire Fire Service in each quarter of  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: For 2006, data on fire calls attended are only available for the whole of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Authority. Information relating to smaller geographical units (e.g. Warrington) is currently only available up to the end of 2005. As a guide, in 2005 just under a fifth of all the domestic fires attended in Cheshire occurred in the Warrington Unitary Authority area.
	Information on the number of dwelling fires in Cheshire for each quarter in 2006 is shown in the table. No data are available for 2007.
	
		
			  Dwelling fires attended in Cheshire, by quarter, 2006 
			   Number 
			 1 January to 31 March 2006 183 
			 1 April to 30 June 2006 187 
			 1 July to 30 September 2006 173 
			 1 October to 31 December 2006 216 
			 Total 759 
			  Note:  Data for 2006 are provisional.

Housing: Rural Areas

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will consider the merits of providing continued central government funding to rural housing enablers as recommended by the Affordable Rural Housing Commission.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The clear vision for the long-term funding of Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs), ever since the first 'demonstration project' was launched over 15 years ago, was that they should be supported at local level by the very local authorities and housing associations whose rural delivery they exist to support.
	This reflects the Government's desire to enable decisions about priorities to be taken at the local level in response to local needs, and the important role of local leadership and buy-in in enabling successful delivery.
	In many areas this is happening. A number of RHEs are now self-sustaining. Work is currently being undertaken by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) to look at how that good practice can be replicated.

Institute of Community Cohesion: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department provided to the Institute of Community Cohesion in each of the last three years; what funding it plans to provide in each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government was created in May 2006. We provided the Institute of Community Cohesion with 64,000 in 2006-07, and 55,000 in 2007-08. We do not currently have any agreed plans for future funding of the Institute.

Local Authorities: South West

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which major local authorities will exist in the South West region after the current restructuring is completed.

John Healey: Following the earlier parliamentary approval of the Structural Change Orders, which were laid before both Houses of Parliament on 8 January; the following principal local authorities will exist in the South West Region on l April 2009:
	
		
			  Unitary authorities 
			  Authorities  Population (Est 2006 in  thousand ) 
			 1. Cornwall Council 519 
			 2. Wiltshire Council 448 
			 3. Bristol City Council 410 
			 4. South Gloucester Council 254 
			 5. Plymouth City Council 248 
			 6. North Somerset Council 201 
			 7. Swindon Borough Council 186 
			 8. Bath and NE Somerset Council 175 
			 9. Bournemouth Borough Council 161 
			 10. Borough of Poole Council 137 
			 11. Torbay Council 133 
		
	
	
		
			  Principal  Two-Tier County Councils, And Their Associated  District  Authorities 
			  Authorities  Population  ( Est . 2006 In Thousand) 
			  1. Devon County Council 740 
			 East Devon District Council 131 
			 Exeter City Council 120 
			 Mid-Devon District Council 74 
			 North Devon District Council 91 
			 South Hams District Council 83 
			 Teignbridge District Council 126 
			 Torridge District Council 64 
			 West Devon District Council 51 
			   
			  2. Gloucestershire County Council 578 
			 Cheltenham Borough Council 111 
			 Cotswold District Council 83 
			 Forest of Dean District Council 82 
			 Gloucester City Council 113 
			 Stroud District Council 110 
			 Tewksbury Borough Council 79 
			   
			  3. Somerset County Council 518 
			 Mendip District Council 108 
			 Sedgemoor District Council 111 
			 South Somerset District Council 157 
			 Taunton Deane Borough Council 107 
			 West Somerset District Council 35 
			   
			  4. Dorset County Council 403 
			 Christchurch Borough Council 45 
			 East Dorset District Council 85 
			 North Dorset District Council 67 
			 Purbeck District Council 45 
			 West Dorset District Council 96 
			 Weynouth and Portland Borough Council 65

Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much had been received by  (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and  (b) Newcastle-upon-Tyne under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive by 31 December 2007; how much each was entitled to under the provisions of the scheme; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: As at 31 December 2007, Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council had received 2,612,562.36 under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme; and Newcastle city council had received 5,092,209.00.
	Under the provisions of the scheme, Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council was entitled to 592,362.36; and Newcastle city council was entitled to 7,879,635.00.
	The Department is seeking recovery of the overpayment in line with Managing Public Moneythe Treasury guidance (replacing Government Accounting) which sets out principles and standards for government departments on managing public resources. We are making an additional payment of 2,787,426.00 to Newcastle city council today (3 March).
	The Department has taken steps to ensure that this type of error does not happen again.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition is of a non-departmental public body.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 29 February 2008
	This information is published at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/publicbodies/

Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on the volume of recyclable materials designated to be exported for reprocessing which have been diverted to  (a) landfill and  (b) other disposal facilities over the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department does not hold any information on the amount of waste that is exported for recycling that may have been diverted to landfill or other disposal facilities.

Regional Ministers: Manpower

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff work for each Regional Minister in  (a) his or her departmental office and  (b) the government office of his or her respective region.

Parmjit Dhanda: The number of staff supporting Regional Ministers varies between regions and is listed in the following table. It should be noted, however, that only a minority of the staff listed as working in the departmental private offices support Ministers in their regional capacity.
	
		
			  Regional Minister  Departmental private office staff  Additional information on departmental staff  FTE in GO 
			 SE 4 The number of departmental staff will soon return to five 2 
			 London 5 Includes one special adviser 1.5 
			 South West 7 One of whom works specifically on regional business 1 
			 East Midlands 4  3.5 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 6 One of whom works specifically on regional business 1.5 
			 North West 7 One of whom works specifically on regional business 1 
			 East 4  2.5 
			 West Midlands 7.5  1.7 
			 North East 2 As Deputy Chief Whip, he is assisted by the Chief Whip's Private Office 1

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's latest assessment is of the political situation in Burma.

Kim Howells: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 The Government continue to be deeply concerned by the political situation in Burma. Fundamental civil and human rights continue to be abused. Ethnic minority groups are subject to particular abuse and marginalisation. The military Government impose tight controls on the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the media. The civil opposition continues to be harassed and suppressed. 2,000 political prisoners continue to be detained.
	On 9 February, the Burmese regime announced that it would hold a referendum on a new constitution in May 2008 and elections in 2010 as part of its Roadmap process. The civil opposition and representatives of many ethnic groups have been excluded from the constitution-drafting process. Unless the constitution and the process is truly inclusive and transparent, it will not lead to genuine national reconciliation. We are particularly concerned at the regime's attempts to exclude Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the political process and fear that this will only exacerbate tension and instability in Burma. In our contacts with the military Government and those who have influence over them, we are stressing the need for all political actors, including Aung San Suu Kyi, to be allowed to play their full part in shaping the country's future.
	On 12 February, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated our demand that the Burmese regime immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and called for the early return of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, to the country, to help facilitate political transition.

Business Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which  (a) Minister and  (b) departmental division is responsible for policy on corporate social responsibility in his Department.

Meg Munn: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, is responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO's Sustainable Development and Business Group is currently responsible for the FCO's work on Corporate Social Responsibility. However, this Department will be closed at the end of March as a result of the FCO's recent reprioritisation of policy work and the majority of the Department's work on Corporate Social Responsibility will be redistributed to other Departments.

Business Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget for promoting corporate social responsibility  (a) internally in his Department and  (b) externally by his Department to British companies was in each of the last five years.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has provided an annual contribution of 80,000 to the Trust Fund for the UN Global Compact, the largest international initiative promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the FCO annually contributes 3,000 towards the running costs of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Over the last five years the FCO has also made the following allocations of project funding for CSR related projects globally:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2003 348,602 
			 2004 484,636 
			 2005 462,533 
			 2006 309,577 
			 2007 567,537 
			 2008(1) 192,813 
			 (1) Projected for 2008. 
		
	
	This has included funding 125,000 over three years (March 2006 to September 2008) to pilot a civil society co-ordinator with the UN Global Compact. The FCO also funds an annual Chevening Fellowship course for 12 professionals from around the world to study CSR at the university of Nottingham.

Business Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent staff work on corporate social responsibility matters in his Department.

Meg Munn: At present, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has one full-time member of staff working on corporate social responsibility.

China: Dalai Lama

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what report he has received on the negotiating stance adopted by the Chinese government in their talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Meg Munn: We and EU partners have welcomed the visits to China by the Dalai Lama's representatives, including the last visit, between 29 June and 6 July 2007. We have pressed the Chinese repeatedly to continue these contacts and enter a substantive dialogue without pre-conditions. We have made clear our view that negotiations should work towards a long term solution acceptable to both sides.

Colombia

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 149-50W, on Colombia, what reports the Minister of State has received which informed his Answer that the people who are murdering the most trade unionists in Colombia are not the Colombian government but FARC.

Kim Howells: It is illegal armed groups including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that are committing the majority of human rights abuses in Colombia, including intimidation and murder of trade unionists. However, the Colombian armed forces are also guilty of committing abuses, which is why we are helping the Colombian Government develop the processes to root out these abuses.
	The latest report of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the situation of human rights in Colombia (UN General Assembly document A/HRC/4/48); Annex II paragraphs 1-2 states that:
	In 2006, the OHCHR Office recorded an increase in threats against human rights defenders, including trade union members...groups that also continue to be victims of murder, arbitrary or illegal arrest and violations of due process... The acts of violence against human rights defenders have limited their ability to organize and to report violations in some regions of the country. Such acts are attributed to members of new illegal armed groups, paramilitaries and guerrillas. In other cases, members of the security forces and judicial employees have been accused of responsibility for these actions.
	We agree that the situation faced by trade unionists in Colombia is difficult. The number of trade unionists threatened and killed is too high. This is why, working with the Trade Unions Congress, we have invited a delegation of Colombian trade unionists to the UK in March, to hear from them first hand and to explore how the UK can offer its support.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the salary range is for each pay band of civil servants in his Department.

Kim Howells: For the financial year 2007-08 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) applies the following salary ranges to staff in each pay band.
	
		
			  FCO band  Civil service equivalent  Minimum salary ()  Maximum salary () 
			 Al Administrative Assistant 14,732 16,681 
			 A2 Administrative Officer 16,914 21,082 
			 B3 Executive Officer 19,568 26,778 
			 C4 Higher Executive Officer 21,759 31,290 
			 C5 Senior Executive Officer 27,992 37,999 
			 D6 Grade 7 37,069 52,786 
			 D7 Grade 6 45,735 63,000 
		
	
	For staff in the senior management structure (SMS), equivalent to the senior civil service (SCS), the FCO operates reward arrangements within a framework managed by the Cabinet Office. The Government set salary ranges for these pay bands centrally for all Whitehall Departments in response to recommendations from the Senior Salaries Review Board. The ranges are currently:
	
		
			  FCO pay band  Civil service pay band  Minimum ()  Ceiling () 
			 SMS 1 Assistant Director SCS 1 56,100 116,000 
			 SMS 2 Director SCS 2 81,600 160,000 
			 Senior Head of Mission (SMS 3/4) Director General plus above SCS 3 99,960 205,000 
		
	
	Staff working in London also receive a non-consolidated, non-pensionable location allowance of 3,000 per annum.

Equatorial Guinea: Simon Mann

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Equatorial Guinea on consular access to Simon Mann.

Meg Munn: The Equatorial Guinea ambassador assured my noble Friend the Minster for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, on 7 February 2008 that consular access to Mr. Mann would be granted. Our consul from the deputy high commission in Lagos was subsequently able to visit Mr. Mann on 12 February 2008.

Equatorial Guinea: Simon Mann

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from the government of Equatorial Guinea that Simon Mann will be treated in accordance with international standards of human rights while imprisoned in that country.

Meg Munn: The Equatorial Guinea ambassador has assured my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on a number of occasions that Mr. Mann would receive a fair trial and be treated well while in custody.

Falkland Islands: Territorial Waters

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Ministry of Defence on protecting the territorial waters in the Falklands.

Kim Howells: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has sole responsibility for protecting the fisheries around the Falkland Islands from unauthorised fishing. To achieve this task the FIG deploys a chartered fisheries protection vessel, two maritime surveillance aircraft and a satellite-based vessel monitoring system. Additionally, fisheries observers are deployed on the commercial fleet. Their primary role is the collection of scientific data, but they also monitor compliance with regulations.

Gambia: Prisoners

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what access to consular services is available to Mr. Charlie Northfield, recently imprisoned in Gambia.

Kim Howells: holding answer 29 February 2008
	We are aware of the case and have been providing full consular assistance since Mr. Northfield was detained.
	Mr. Northfield is currently on bail.

Gaza: International Assistance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the situation in Gaza; and what representations he has made to the Israeli government on the delivery of humanitarian aid and the supply of power in Gaza.

Kim Howells: The UK is concerned about the latest violence in the Gaza strip and the growing impact of Israeli restrictions which have resulted in power cuts and threaten to undermine vital infrastructure such as hospitals, water and sewage systems. The UN reports that the Gaza power plant is only able to produce 55 megawatts of the 240 megawatts required daily in the Gaza strip. For example, the water authority in the strip is unable to adequately pump and distribute water (cuts in the Gaza City are varying between four to eight hours daily).
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development have issued joint statements on the situation in Gaza and Sderot on 11 January, 21 January and more recently on 8 February. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni on this issue on 24 January and I spoke to the Israeli ambassador in London on 29 January. Our embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises this matter with the Israeli government and most recently our ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue with Defence Minister Barak on 25 February.
	The UK and its partners will continue to pursue with Israel the reopening of all crossings to facilitate movement for all Palestinians. We deplore the fact that innocent civilians on both sides are suffering. Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security.

Hamas

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 471-2W, on Hamas, what fundamental conditions the Quartet has set Israel for a viable peace.

Kim Howells: The Roadmap sets out the steps the Palestinian Authority and Israel need to implement to achieve a negotiated settlement. Both sides have accepted the Roadmap. At the Annapolis Conference of 22 November 2007, Prime Minister Olmert renewed his commitment to Israel's Roadmap obligations. Among others these obligations require that the Government of Israel freeze all settlement building, dismantle all settlement outposts and take measures to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians. The Quartet and the UK firmly believe that the Roadmap is the best route to achieving peace in the Middle East.

Legal Costs

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on  (a) legal and  (b) other costs in connection with the case of al-Rawi and others vs the Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost to the public purse has been of  (a) the defence and  (b) the prosecution in the case of al-Rawi and others vs the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The legal costs in connection with the case of Al Rawi and others  v. the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs were borne jointly by the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Including fees for counsel and the Treasury Solicitor's Department, these costs came to just under 395,000 including value added tax. The FCO does not have any information about the claimants' legal costs, which were met by the Legal Services Commission.

Sudan: Security

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed internal security in Darfur with representatives of the government of Sudan.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary set out our concerns on the situation in Darfur, and the need for an immediate end to the fighting in West Darfur, in a joint statement with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 27 February. He has discussed the situation in Darfur with several governments, most recently this week in Beijing at meetings with the Premier and Foreign Minister of China. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, has been in regular contact with the Government of Sudan on this issue, including during his visit there and the African Union summit, 28 January-1 February. Our ambassador in Khartoum has been instructed to pursue the matter further with the Government of Sudan.

UK Trade and Investment: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the proposed arrangements are for the administration and promotion of UK trade and investment at the UK Embassy to the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK Trade and Investment Section in Dublin will be restructured and will continue to deliver services to UK companies seeking to trade with the Republic of Ireland and to Irish companies wishing to invest in the UK.

Zimbabwe: Human Rights

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's latest assessment is of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 The human rights situation in Zimbabwe continues to cause us grave concern. The Government of Zimbabwe shows no respect for basic human rights such as freedom of expression, assembly and association. Human rights violations perpetrated by state agents including assault, torture and arbitrary arrest continue. Our embassy officials in Harare continue to monitor the human rights situation closely, particularly with regard to infringements related to the forthcoming elections. They will continue to meet regularly with key partners, including local and international non-governmental organisations, to consider how best human rights can be defended.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's latest assessment is of the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Kim Howells: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 Zimbabwe continues to suffer from an economic, humanitarian and political crisis, for which President Mugabe is directly responsible. Although an election has been declared for 29 March, it seems almost impossible for it to be held in anything like free and fair conditions. We are pressing for effective international monitoring and for states in the region to require the election to meet international standards, including those adopted by the Southern African Development Community itself.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

A-levels

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of trends in retaking  (a) AS and  (b) A2 modules in schools.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Assessments: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received from  (a) hon. Members,  (b) members of the House of Lords,  (c) members of the teaching professions and  (d) members of the public expressing concern about the maintenance of standards of (i) advanced level examinations and (ii) GCSE examinations; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Since the beginning of August my Department has received 22 letters on issues related to exam standardsfour from Members of Parliament, six from teachers and lecturers and 12 from other members of the public. These expressed a range of views, including support for the recognition of attainment as well as concern.
	It is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as the qualifications regulator to oversee the awarding process to ensure that standards are comparable both between different qualifications and overtime. There is no evidence that overall standards have not been maintained. Nevertheless the debate about standards continues from year-to-year and we have acknowledged that the fact that the QCA reports to Ministers can make it harder to demonstrate that it is acting wholly independently in carrying out its regulatory role. That is why we have announced that we will legislate to create a new independent regulator of qualifications and tests, building on the QCA's achievements in this area.

Assessments: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools have received a formal warning from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority about the way they conduct their national tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is statutorily obliged to investigate any matter brought to its attention relating to the accuracy or correctness of the results of any pupil in respect of the statutory Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 National Curriculum tests. Such matters are referred to as allegations of maladministration. This remit is carried out by the National Assessment Agency (NAA), part of the QCA, with the aim of safeguarding the integrity of the tests and the interests of pupils.
	The NAA's remit in investigating cases of alleged maladministration is to determine whether there is doubt over the correctness or accuracy of pupil results. The NAA does not issue formal warnings. The sanction applied where a case of maladministration is proven is the annulment or change of results for individual pupils or for the whole school. The 2007 maladministration report is available to view at: www.naa.org.uk/tests and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

Children: Arts

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to develop children's artistic and creative skills since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 February 2008
	 Arts education is firmly placed in the national curriculum, for example in music, art, dance and drama. Creativity and creative skills are a key part of the curriculum from foundation stage right through to secondary education and the new secondary curriculum will allow schools greater opportunities to support creativity.
	Creativity has featured increasingly in the Government's schools policies since 1997, and we have supported a number of very successful initiatives aimed at giving young people the chance to engage with culture and the arts and develop creative skills. Examples include:
	Artsmark, set up in 2001 to encourage schools to increase their range of arts provision;
	Creative Partnerships set up in 2002 to give children the chance to develop their creativity by working with creative practitioners and cultural organisations. We are investing over 110 million to expand the programme over the next three years;
	The Music Manifesto launched in 2004, a partnership with an agreed set of aims to improve music education for all children and young people, whose report led to a further investment in music of 332 million over three years announced in November 2007;
	Initiatives such as the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto and the setting up of extended schools, supporting schools to offer extra activities to pupils, including creative and arts activities in and out of school and outside school hours.
	The Creative and Cultural Education Advisory Board that we set up in response to Paul Roberts' 2006 review of creativity, has helped us bring together the cultural and education sectors. This is key to the development of a longer term cultural offer that we announced in the Children's Plan. We are committed to working towards a position where all children and young people have the opportunities to develop their creative abilities, and to access high quality arts and cultural activities in and out of school. On 13 February 2008 we announced the Find Your Talent programme that will be piloted in ten areas around the country. There is already much cultural and creative activity taking place in and out of school and the pilots will build on this, to make sure all children and young people have the opportunity to take part in creative and cultural activities. It will give children and young people the chance to discover and develop their talents. The intention is, ultimately, to offer five hours of arts and culture a week. The pilots will give us the information we need to make decisions about rolling out the offer nationally.

Children: Internet

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to increase internet access for children in low income  (a) families and  (b) communities in (i) West Lancashire constituency and (ii) England.

Jim Knight: A number of initiatives have been set up to widen access to the internet for low-income families. These recently include Computers for Pupils and Home Access. The Computers for Pupils programme and its current successor has provided 90 million worth of support for children in disadvantaged families.
	The Home Access Task Force is considering the potential for a sustainable long-term solution to support all children in having appropriate access and is due to provide final advice to Ministers in April 2008.
	The Department does not provide separate funding for West Lancashire, but Lancashire local authority has received over 1 million of the Computers for Pupils funding.

Children: Poverty

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what measures the Government has put in place to meet its target of halving child poverty by 2010.

Beverley Hughes: We have published our strategy for halving child poverty by 2010 most recently in the Child Poverty PSA Delivery Agreement (published November 2007), the DWP Command Paper 'Ready for work: full employment in our generation', and the DCSF 'Children's Plan' (both published in December 2007).
	Our commitment to halving child poverty by 2010 on the way to eradicating it by 2020 is one of the most ambitious economic and social policy objectives set by any government in the developed world.
	To date our strategy has focused on fiscal and welfare reform measures to increase employment levels for parents, with most policy focus on lone parents and increasing financial support through the benefit and tax systems.
	Significant progress has been made; there are now 600,000 fewer children living in poverty than in 1998/99. Since 1997 the proportion of children living in workless households has fallen from 18.7 per cent. to 16 per cent. in Quarter 2 of 2007this is a reduction of 405,000.

Children's Centres: Finance

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether funding provided by his Department to local authorities for children centres and Sure Start programmes is ring-fenced for existing programmes.

Beverley Hughes: The Sure Start, early years and child care grant, paid to local authorities, includes funding for Sure Start children's centres and is ring-fenced. Within that grant funding for Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), and children's centres based on Sure Start Local Programmes, is further ring-fenced and can be used only for services in SSLPs, and Sure Start children's centres based on SSLPs.

Culture: Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  in which areas the schemes to provide every child with five hours of culture a week are being piloted; and how many children will be involved in these pilot schemes;
	(2)  how his Department plans to ensure that every child is receiving five hours of culture a week.

Jim Knight: On 13 February 2008 we announced a Find Your Talent programme of 10 pilots that will trial ways of delivering a structured five hours a week cultural offer There is already much cultural activity taking place in and out of school and the pilots will build on this, to make sure all children and young people have the opportunity to take part in cultural activities.
	We have published a prospectus seeking expressions of interest from partnerships in local areas around the country, setting out a core range of activities we believe young people should be able to engage with. However, this is very much a minimum and we expect additional cultural experiences to be offered. We are looking for innovative bids that will test different ways of delivering a variety of approaches to a comprehensive cultural offer over the next three years, including how the five hour offer can be delivered. The pilots will give us the information we need to make decisions about rolling out the offer nationally.
	The deadline for bids is 7 April 2008. Successful applicants will be notified in May and work will begin in September 2008.

English Language

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional teaching and financial resources are being made available to primary and secondary schools to help them meet the educational needs of children who do not have English as a first language in 2007-08.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to my reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 527W.

Free School Meals

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of school children in  (a) England and  (b) each parliamentary constituency received free school meals in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The requested information has been placed in the House Library.

GCE A-Level: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sat A-Level examinations in 2007.

Jim Knight: The available information can be found in the following table, this has been taken from table 9 of the SFR 'National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07', which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index. shtml
	
		
			  Achievements of level 3 qualifications by free school meals and gender, 2007, England, students in maintained schools only 
			   Number of 16 to 18-year-old candidates  Average point score per candidate  Average point score per entry 
			  Boys
			 FSM 2,068 590.8 179.8 
			 Non-FSM 62,418 729.5 198.5 
			 Unclassified(1) 508 736.1 203.5 
			 All pupils 64,994 725.2 198.0 
			 
			  Girls
			 FSM 3,028 620.8 187.2 
			 Non-FSM 73,702 767.2 207.5 
			 Unclassified(1) 587 758.9 209.0 
			 All pupils 77,317 761.4 206.8 
			 
			  Total
			 FSM 5,096 608.6 184.2 
			 Non-FSM 136,120 749.9 203.4 
			 Unclassified(1) 1,095 748.3 206.5 
			 All pupils 142,311 744.8 202.8 
			 (1) Includes information refused or not obtained.  Source: National Pupil Database.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils who obtained level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in 2002 obtained five GCSEs at A* to C grade in 2007.

Jim Knight: For pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2007:
	75 per cent. of pupils with Level 4 or above in KS2 English achieved five GCSEs or equivalent qualifications at grades A*-C;
	75 per cent. of pupils with Level 4 or above in KS2 maths achieved five GCSEs or equivalent qualifications at grades A*-C;
	79 per cent. of pupils with Level 4 or above in both KS2 English and KS2 maths achieved five GCSEs or equivalent qualifications at grades A*-C.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals gained five A* to C at GCSE, including English, science, mathematics and a foreign language in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The information is available in the following table, which also lists those studying the compulsory subjects only.
	
		
			   Total number of pupils  Number achieving 5+A*-C inc. English, mathematics, Science and a foreign language  Percentage achieving 5+A*-C inc. English, mathematics, Science and a foreign language  Number achieving 5+A*-C inc. English, mathematics and Science  Percentage achieving 5+A*-C inc. English, mathematics and Science 
			  Pupils eligible for Free School Meals 
			 2004/05 80,554 6,541 8.1 12,089 15.0 
			 2005/06 77,096 5,756 7.5 12,222 15.9 
			 2006/07 77,502 5,755 7.4 13,156 17.0 
			  Pupils not eligible for Free School Meals 
			 2004/05 504,132 141,901 28.1 212,207 42.1 
			 2005/06 517,650 132,941 25.7 219,511 42.4 
			 2006/07 523,797 127,453 24.3 227,182 43.4 
			  All pupils 
			 2004/05 584,686 148,442 25.4 224,296 38.4 
			 2005/06 594,746 138,697 23.3 231,733 39.0 
			 2006/07 601,299 133,208 22.2 240,338 40.0 
			  Notes: 1. Based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in maintained schools. 2. Figures for 5+ A*-C include GCSE and other equivalent qualifications approved for use pre-16. Figures for English, Mathematics, Science and a foreign language are based on GCSEs only.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils obtained five A* to C grades at GCSE, excluding equivalents, applied GCSEs, media studies, law, psychology, statistics, physical education and humanities GCSE in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Stockton on Tees

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children in Stockton left school with five A* to C grade GCSEs in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Jim Knight: The percentage of 15-year-old pupils in Stockton that left school with five A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent in 1997 was 39.1 per cent., this rose to 60.0 per cent. in 2007. The England figure for 1997 was 45.1 per cent. rising to 60.8 per cent. in 2007. The latest information can be found in the SFR GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England 2006/07 (Revised) at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index. shtml

Home Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support a child aged 14 years who is home educated and attends a local college on a part-time basis is entitled to receive towards the cost of course fees.

Jim Knight: We do not provide support towards the cost of course fees for home educated children. Although we encourage local authorities to provide support to home educating families where resources permit, authorities are under no duty to pay the course fees of a home educated child. Parents who elect to educate their child at home must be prepared to assume full financial responsibility.

National Vocational Qualifications: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils  (a) eligible and  (b) not eligible for free school meals were entered for a GNVQ qualification in 2007.

Jim Knight: This information is not held centrally by the Department and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Primary Education: Catering

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of primary schools in each local authority area have no kitchen facilities for producing hot meals; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not collect this information. However, in its second annual survey of take-up of school meals in England, published in September 2007, the School Food Trust collected data by region and the data are available in the following table.
	Providing a hot meal does not require every school to have a kitchen. There are several ways of reheating food on school premises, such as microwave ovens; or schools may use a centralised preparation and delivery service.
	Over the next three years, we are providing a record 21.9 billion of capital support for investment in school buildings. Much of this funding is devolved to local authorities and schools for their local priorities, which can include installing or improving school kitchens and dining areas. As part of this funding, we are making available from April 2008 150 million of targeted capital grant to those authorities with high need.
	
		
			  Facilities for food preparation in primary and secondary schools in England (percentage of schools ) , by region 
			  Percentage 
			 No facilities: 
			  Region  Full production kitchen  Regen or mini kitchen  Hot food transported from another school  Hot food transported from another source  Sandwich/cold food only 
			  Primary  
			 North East 75.9 15.4 8.1 0.6 0.0 
			 North West 84.9 6.9 7.9 0.0 0.4 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 70.5 15.8 13.7 0.0 0.0 
			 East Midlands 63.1 3.7 20.4 12.5 0.4 
			 West Midlands 64.0 21.0 4.9 0.0 0.1 
			 East of England 77.0 4.8 16.1 0.0 2.1 
			 Inner London 71.8 10.4 13.1 4.3 0.4 
			 Outer London 72.0 10.4 13.4 0.4 3.8 
			 South East 59.6 5.2 22.2 0 13.0 
			 South West 54.0 2.1 32.3 0.0 11.6 
			 All primary 69.4 8.3 16.7 1.9 3.7 
			   
			  Secondary  
			 North East 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 North West 99.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 96.6 3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 East Midlands 99.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 
			 West Midlands 96.7 2.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 
			 East of England 99.6 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 
			 Inner London 96.2 1.9 1.9 0.0 0.0 
			 Outer London 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 South East 98.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 
			 South West 98.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 
			 All secondary 98.6 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.5 
			  Notes: 1. Base (unweighted) primary: 93; secondary: 79 2. Analysis: weighted by number of schools catered for

Private Education: Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many independent schools he expects to offer the full range of diplomas from  (a) September 2008 and  (b) September 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: At present no independent schools are part of consortia planning to deliver Diplomas in September 2008. The outcome of applications for September 2009 will be announced in April.
	The Government encourage independent schools to deliver Diplomas. We held a 14-19 Diploma conference for independent schools in December 2007 which was well attended and are planning a seminar in April this year for those independent schools which have expressed an interest in greater involvement.

Pupils Exclusions: Suffolk

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students have been permanently excluded from schools in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25 February,  Official Report, column 1279W.

Pupils: Diabetes

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of schools not allowing their staff to administer medicines such as insulin on the management of diabetes among pupils.

Jim Knight: This Department has not made such an assessment.
	Our guidance to schools, 'Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings', issued jointly with the Department of Health in 2005, encourages schools and local authorities to develop local policies on the management of pupil's medicines and on supporting pupils with medical needs, taking account of local resources and their various responsibilities.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of children entitled to free schools meals that live in an area where more than 45 per cent. of children are living in families in receipt of benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Free school meals provide additional help to children in non-working families (where the adults either do not work, or work for less than 16 hours per week). These families are reliant on 'welfare support payments' and are not able to claim the additional working tax credit' that is available to low income working families (adults working 16+ hours per week).
	The requested information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number and proportion of pupils( 1)  eligible for free school meals living in deprived( 2 ) areas 
			   Number of pupils not eligible for FSM  Number of pupils eligible for FSM  Total pupils  Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM 
			 Areas where less than 45 per cent. of children are income deprived 4,850,109 659,516 5,509,625 12.0 
			 Areas where more than 45 per cent. of children are income deprived 476,698 351,296 827,994 42.4 
			 All children 5,326,807 1,010,812 6,337,619 15.9 
			 (1) Pupils aged 5 to 15 years. (2) Based on the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2004.  Source:  School Census 2007

Pupils: Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance he has issued on technical means of restricting pupils' access to inappropriate content via the internet at school.

Jim Knight: Advice on how to filter internet access in schools is provided by the British Educational and Communications Technology Agency, Becta. Advice is available on Becta's Schools site at http://schools.becta.org.uk under e-safety. Schools are also encouraged to ensure that their ICT facilities meet the requirements of Becta's functional and technical specifications for institutional infrastructure.
	With regard to internet access, schools are encouraged to employ content and email filtering systems. The above specifications recommend these are managed by local authorities and/or regional broadband consortia (RBCs) as appropriate, in discussion with schools. Becta also maintains an accreditation process for providers of internet services to education. This is open to local authorities and RBCs as well as commercial providers. Becta strongly encourages all organisations providing internet services to education to put their service forward for accreditation.
	Becta also publishes a range of e-safety guidance for schools. The following are freely available from Becta's publications website at http://publications.becta.org.uk:
	Safeguarding children online - a guide for school leaders (published January 2008)
	Safeguarding children in a digital world (published February 2006)
	E-safety (revised): Developing whole-school policies to support effective practice (published February 2006)
	In addition to Becta's own advice, the Department and Becta have provided support to Childnet to produce two CD ROMs in the 'Know IT All' series. The first provides advice and guidance to parents to promote safe use of the internet in the home by children. 'Know IT All For Schools' is aimed at secondary schools.

Safety Value Fund

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether Milton Keynes Unitary Authority made an application for the safety value fund before the closing date of 29 February.

Jim Knight: Milton Keynes Unitary Authority made an application for the Basic Need Safety Valve before the closing date of 29 February.

Safety Value Fund

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the application by Milton Keynes Unitary Authority for the safety valve fund was for.

Jim Knight: Milton Keynes' application for additional funding for new pupil places is the subject of ongoing discussion between the Department's officials and officers from the local authority. Accordingly, agreed application figures are not available at this stage.

Schools

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children are being taught in schools with  (a) between 500 and 999 and  (b) less than 500 pupils;
	(2)  how many school children were in schools with over  (a) 1,000 and  (b) 2,000 pupils in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The requested information relating to maintained schools in England is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained schools: number of schools by size( 1) January 2007 
			  England 
			   Primary schools( 2) 
			  Size of school  Number of schools  Headcount of full time pupils  Headcount of part  time  pupils  Total headcount 
			 Up to and including 499 pupils 16,878 3,577,150 237,350 3,814,500 
			 500 pupils to 999 pupils 483 271,090 22,090 293,180 
			 1,000 pupils to 1,999 pupils 0 0 0 0 
			 2,000 pupils and over 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 17,361 3,848,240 259,440 4,107,680 
		
	
	
		
			  England 
			   Secondary schools( 2) 
			  Size of school  Number of schools  Headcount of full time pupils  Headcount of part  time  pupils  Total headcount 
			 Up to and including 499 pupils 344 123,390 30 123,410 
			 500 pupils to 999 pupils 1,465 1,143,230 120 1,143,350 
			 1,000 pupils to 1,999 pupils 1,512 1,953,840 350 1,954,190 
			 2,000 pupils and over 22 47,530 # 47,540 
			 Total 3,343 3,267,990 500 3,268,490 
		
	
	
		
			  England 
			   Maintained special schools 
			  Size of school  Number of schools  Headcount of full time pupils  Headcount of part time pupils  Total headcount 
			 Up to and including 499 pupils 1,006 83,050 1,630 84,690 
			 500 pupils to 999 pupils 0 0 0 0 
			 1,000 pupils to 1,999 pupils 0 0 0 0 
			 2,000 pupils and over 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 1,006 83,050 1,630 84,690 
		
	
	
		
			  England 
			   Pupil referral units 
			  Size of school  Number of schools  Headcount of full time pupils  Headcount of  part  time pupils  Total headcount 
			 Up to and including 499 pupils 448 15,160 0 15,160 
			 500 pupils to 999 pupils 0 0 0 0 
			 1,000 pupils to 1,999 pupils 0 0 0 0 
			 2,000 pupils and over 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 448 15,160 0 15,160 
		
	
	
		
			  England 
			   Total 
			  Size of school  Number of schools  Headcount of full time pupils  Headcount of  part  time  pupils  Total headcount 
			 Up to and including 499 pupils 18,676 3,798,750 239,010 4,037,760 
			 500 pupils to 999 pupils 1,948 1,414,320 22,210 1,436,530 
			 1,000 pupils to 1,999 pupils 1,512 1,953,840 350 1,954,190 
			 2,000 pupils and over 22 47,530 # 47,540 
			 Total 22,158 7,214,440 261,570 7,476,010 
			 # = Less than 5. (1) Based on a headcount of pupils in schools. Excludes dually registered pupils. Includes pupils with other providers in pupil referral units. (2) Includes middle deemed schools.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Schools: Catering

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of schools in each English local authority area that do not have kitchen facilities capable of serving daily hot meals; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not collect this information. However, in its second annual survey of take-up of school meals in England, published in September 2007, the School Food Trust collected data by region. The data is in the following table.
	Providing a hot meal does not require every school to have a kitchen. There are several ways of reheating food on school premises, such as microwave ovens; or schools may use a centralised preparation and delivery service.
	Over the next three years, we are providing a record 21.9 billion of capital support for investment in school buildings. Much of this funding is devolved to local authorities and schools for their local priorities, which can include installing or improving school kitchens and dining areas. As part of this funding, we are making available from April 2008 150 million of targeted capital grant to those authorities with high need.
	
		
			  Table 8: Facilities for food preparation in primary and secondary schools in England (percentage of schools), by region 
			   Full production kitchen  Regen or mini kitchen  No facilitieshot food transported from another school  No Facilitieshot food transported from another source  No facilitiessandwich/cold food only 
			  Primary  
			 North East 75.9 15.4 8.1 0.6 0.0 
			 North West 84.9 6.9 7.9 0.0 0.4 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 70.5 15.8 13.7 0.0 0.0 
			 East Midlands 63.1 3.7 20.4 12.5 0.4 
			 West Midlands 64.0 21.0 4.9 0.0 0.1 
			 East of England 77.0 4.8 16.1 0.0 2.1 
			 Inner London 71.8 10.4 13.1 4.3 0.4 
			 Outer London 72.0 10.4 13.4 0.4 3.8 
			 South East 59.6 5.2 22.2 0 13.0 
			 South West 54.0 2.1 32.3 0.0 11.6 
			 All primary 69.4 8.3 16.7 1.9 3.7 
			   
			  Secondary  
			 North East 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 North West 99.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 96.6 3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 East Midlands 99.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 
			 West Midlands 96.7 2.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 
			 East of England 99.6 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 
			 Inner London 96.2 1.9 1.9 0.0 0.0 
			 Outer London 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 South East 98.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 
			 South West 98.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 
			 All secondary 98.6 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.5 
			  Note: base (unweighted): primary: 93; secondary: 79  analysis: weighted by number of schools

Schools: Finance

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was allocated to schools in the West Chelmsford constituency for  (a) books,  (b) computers,  (c) musical instruments and  (d) sports equipment in (i) the latest period for which figures are available and (ii) 2001.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information. It is a matter for each local authority and its schools to determine locally the level of funding for each of these areas.

Schools: Inspections

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much Ofsted inspections cost in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 20 February 2008:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response. You asked for an estimate of the cost of Ofsted inspections over the last three years.
	On 1 April 2007, and following the Education and Inspections Act 2006, a new, single inspectorate came into being, 'The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills'. It has taken on responsibilities from four existing inspectorates: the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI); the work relating to children and young peoples of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI); the work relating to the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Services of HM Inspectorate of Court Administration (HMICA); and the work of the former Ofsted.
	The relevant costs of these inspectorates for the three years 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 are set out in the table below. These costs include the cost of Ofsted for the three years and the costs of inspection activity undertaken by other bodies prior to the transfer of these responsibilities on 1 April 2007. The 2007/08 figure refers to the costs of the new, single inspectorate form 1 April 2007 onwards.
	
		
			  Table A: Relevant Costs of Inspectorates 
			   million 
			  Inspectorate  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Ofsted 223 211.6 236.6 
			 ALI 30.3 25  
			 CSCI 28.6 28.9  
			 HMICA-CAFCASS 0.5 0.5  
			 Total 282.4 266 236.6 
		
	
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the social class attainment gap at Key Stage 4 between the most deprived and least deprived quartile of children was in each year between 1997 and 2007 using the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Jim Knight: This type of information has only been available since 2002. We are unable to supply the information requested in the time allowed. The available information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  GCSE( 1)  attainment by IDACI( 2)  decile of pupil residence, 2002 and 2007( 3) 
			   5+ A*-C 
			  IDACI decile  2002  2007 
			 0-10 most deprived 26.6 42.3 
			 10-20 32.0 45.2 
			 20-30 37.6 49.1 
			 30-40 43.3 53.9 
			 40-50 49.4 58.8 
			 50-60 54.4 63.0 
			 60-70 59.1 67.1 
			 70-80 63.4 70.3 
			 80-90 67.1 73.7 
			 90-100 least deprived 73.5 78.6 
			 (1) The 2002 figures include GCSEs and GNVQ equivalent results for pupils aged 15. The 2007 figures include GCSE, GNVQ and a range of other approved qualifications for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. As such the figures are not directly comparable. (2) Based on the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2004. (3 )2007 data are provisional.  Source: National Pupil Database

Secondary Schools: Construction

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many new secondary schools are planned to be built in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Regional Strategy area in the next 10 years; and whether one is planned to be built in Wellingborough in that period.

Jim Knight: The Department does not maintain records of how many new secondary schools will be built within each local authority or region. This is because it relies on local authorities, using detailed local knowledge of demand and the capacity of existing schools, to determine priorities between improvement, expansion of existing schools, reorganisation, and new build. Capital resources for schools are higher than ever before, and allocations are planned to amount to 21.9 billion over the three year period 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Specialist Schools: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to encourage more schools in the West Midlands to achieve specialist status.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 February 200 8
	All maintained secondary schools who meet the criteria for the specialist schools programme are encouraged to apply for specialist status. This includes special schools with secondary aged pupils. We grant the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the Youth Sport Trust funding to support and advise all aspiring specialist schools.
	There are currently 336 designated specialist schools in the West Midlands, which is around 93 per cent. of all eligible secondary schools in that region. There are also 26 special schools designated of which 15 have curriculum specialisms and 11 have special educational needs/inclusion specialisms.

Teachers: Foreigners

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers from overseas have been awarded qualified teacher status, broken down by country.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of teachers from the European economic area (EEA) who were awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) between 1 September 2006 to 31 August 2007 based on mutual recognition within the European Union (EU).
	
		
			  Number of teachers from the EEA awarded QTS in 2006/07 
			  European economic area  Number of teachers awarded QTS 
			 Austria 14 
			 Belgium 6 
			 Cyprus 5 
			 Czech Republic 31 
			 Denmark 9 
			 Estonia 8 
			 Finland 6 
			 France 27 
			 Germany 38 
			 Greece 15 
			 Hungary 110 
			 Iceland 1 
			 Italy 15 
			 Latvia 11 
			 Lithuania 39 
			 Malta 11 
			 Netherlands 28 
			 Norway 4 
			 Poland 707 
			 Portugal 49 
			 Republic of Ireland 41 
			 Slovakia 93 
			 Slovenia 2 
			 Spain 270 
			 Sweden 13 
			 Switzerland 9 
			 EEA total 1,562 
			  Notes: 1. These teachers have not undertaken any form of ITT in England. 2. All these teachers are exempt from the requirement to undertake an induction period in England and it is for employers to carry out background checks and assess their competency in English.  Source: General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) 
		
	
	Teachers from outside the EEA with prior qualifications in teaching can gain QTS through the Overseas Trained Teachers Programme (OTTP). In 2005/06 1,150 trainees gained QTS through the OTTP. The nationality of OTTP trainees is not collected centrally.
	In addition trainees from overseas with no prior teaching qualifications can gain QTS through a mainstream ITT course or an Employment Based Route ITT (EBITT) course. The nationality of mainstream and EBITT trainees is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Labour Turnover

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time teachers entering the profession left the profession within (i) three years and (ii) five years in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of teachers who left full and part-time service before March 2006 after entering service three and five years earlier. These teachers attained qualified teacher status in the calendar year before entering service.
	
		
			  N umber of teachers who had left full and part-time( 1)  service before March 2006 after first entering service three and five years earlier 
			   Number in service in March :   Number in service in March :  
			   2003  2006  Number who left the service by March 2006( 2)  2001  2006  Number who left the service by March 2006( 2) 
			  Left service after three years (year qualified 2002)   
			 Full-time(3) 20,790 16,260 4,530 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Part-time(3) 760 1,310 -550 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total 21,550 17,580 3,980 n/a n/a n/a 
			
			  Left service after five years (year qualified 2002)   
			 Full-time(3) n/a n/a n/a 16,780 11,540 5,240 
			 Part-time(3) n/a n/a n/a 600 1,470 -870 
			 Total n/a n/a n/a 17,380 13,000 4,380 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) The number of part-time teaches may have been underestimated by between 10 and 20 per cent. due to the under recording of these teachers. (2) The figures for those leaving service includes teachers who have gone on to teaching service outside of the English maintained sector and those that have left teaching temporarily. (3) Some teachers have moved from part-time to full-time within this period which results in a negative number for teachers who have left part-time service and vice versa.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Database of Teacher Records.

Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of his Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established;
	(2)  when he expects to answer Question 166535, on telephone contact centres, tabled on 15 November 2007 by the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne.

Kevin Brennan: This Department does not operate a telephone contact centre as such; rather, there is a central Public Communications Unit (PCU) that deals with telephone inquiries, e-mails, written correspondence and public consultations.
	In line with the Government's response to Sir David Varney's report on Service Transformation, the PCU is using information gathered against the performance management indicators published by The Citizen and Business Contact Centre Council (CBCCC) to monitor its effectiveness.
	The PCU operates a flexible resourcing model, moving people between the various contact channels according to business need. It is not therefore possible to provide a figure for the number of people employed specifically on telephone contact work.
	In addition to the PCU, DCSF also contracts with suppliers to provide telephone helpline services to the public, usually in support of information campaigns. These contracts cover the provision of data by the suppliers to enable the Department to ensure that the supplier is meeting the Key Performance Indicators set out in the contract. Additionally, the Department may run mystery shopping or user survey research to further monitor the performance of the contact centres. To provide information on the number of people employed by these suppliers on DCSF work would incur disproportionate cost.

Vocational Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect on employment opportunities for young people aged 16 to 18 years of the Government's plans to raise the education leaving age to 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The estimated costs and benefits of raising the participation age are set out in the impact assessment published alongside the Education and Skills Bill on 29 November. The estimates of the costs to employers are based on a range of assumptions and scenarios of how employers will respond to the policy. The impact assessment can be accessed at
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications/educationandskills/docs/Impact_Assessment_Education and Skills_Bill.pdf
	and I have placed a copy in the Library of the House. Those employing 16 and 17-year-olds for less than 20 hours a week and for less than a period of eight weeks will be unaffected. We will work with employers to ensure they fully understand their duties under this policy and will continue to support them in employing young people and in providing accredited training where appropriate.

TREASURY

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were with an alcohol-related underlying cause in  (a) the North East, broken down by local authority area, and  (b) the UK, broken down by (i) region and (ii) country in (A) 2004, (B) 2005, (C) 2006 and (D) 2007; and what the death rate per head of population from alcohol-related causes was in each case.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 1 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were with an alcohol-related underlying cause in  (a) the North East, broken down by local authority area, and  (b), the UK, broken down by (i) region and (ii) country in (A) 2004, (B) 2005, (C) 2006 and (D) 2007; and what the death rate per head of population from alcohol-related causes was in each case. I am replying in her absence. (190819)
	The following tables attached provide the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in  (a) local authorities in the North East government office region,  (b) government office regions in England, and  (c) the United Kingdom and its constituent countries, from 2004 to 2006 (the latest year available). Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population are also shown.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths and age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population( 1, 2 ) with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 3) , local authorities in North East Government Office Region( 4) , 2004 to 2006 
			   Deaths (persons)  Rate 
			  Area  2004  2005  2006  2004-2006 
			 Local authority 
			 Alnwick 4 3 1  
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 4 3 6 11 
			 Blyth Valley 16 11 14 15 
			 Castle Morpeth 6 5 7 9 
			 Chester-le-Street 8 6 5 11 
			 Darlington 19 13 17 15 
			 Derwentside 13 19 9 14 
			 Durham 7 14 14 12 
			 Easington 19 24 9 17 
			 Gateshead 38 37 36 18 
			 Hartlepool 18 15 19 17 
			 Middlesbrough 25 20 23 17 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 70 55 58 24 
			 North Tyneside 44 36 36 18 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 18 22 20 13 
			 Sedgefield 9 6 14 10 
			 South Tyneside 32 22 34 17 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 22 28 28 13 
			 Sunderland 37 46 54 15 
			 Teesdale 1 2 1  
			 Tynedale 4 3 11 9 
			 Wansbeck 9 7 11 13 
			 Wear valley 3 5 8 7 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European standard population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages.  (2) It is ONS practice not to calculate mortality rates where there are fewer than 10 deaths in an area, as rates based on such small numbers are susceptible to wide random fluctuations. Consequently, rates for local authorities were calculated based on deaths in the years 2004 to 2006 combined. For two local authorities, no rate could be calculated even for the aggregated three year period (shown as '').  (3) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and ICD-9 for the years 1997 to 1999 and ICD-10 for the years 2000 to 2006 for Scotland. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following box.  (4) Based on boundaries as of 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths and age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population( 1 ) with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 2) , Government office regions in England, United Kingdom and constituent countries, 2004 to 2006( 3) 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Area  Deaths  Rate  Deaths  Rate  Deaths  Rate 
			 Government office region   
			 North East 426 16 402 15 435 16 
			 North West 1,166 16 1,173 16 1,209 17 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 615 11 643 12 679 13 
			 East Midlands 482 10 506 10 505 10 
			 West Midlands 743 13 776 14 801 14 
			 East of England 485 8 492 8 556 9 
			 London 758 11 744 11 824 12 
			 South East 832 9 874 9 921 10 
			 South West 529 9 581 10 587 10 
			
			 United Kingdom 8,221 13 8,386 13 8,758 13 
			 England 6,036 11 6,191 11 6,517 12 
			 Wales 416 13 407 12 430 13 
			 Scotland 1,478 26 1,513 27 1,546 27 
			 Northern Ireland 255 15 246 15 248 14 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European standard population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages.  (2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and ICD-9 for the years 1997 to 1999 and ICD-10 for the years 2000 to 2006 for Scotland. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following boxes.  (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007. Figures presented for the United Kingdom include non-residents, which are excluded from the figures for constituent countries, government office regions and local authorities. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people died from an alcohol-related underlying cause aged  (a) under 20,  (b) 21 to 30,  (c) 31 to 40,  (d) 41 to 50,  (e) 51 to 60,  (f) 61 years and above in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sex.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 3 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from an alcohol-related underlying cause aged (a) under 20, (b) 21 to 30, (c) 31 to 40, (d) 41 to 50, (e) 51 to 60, (f) 61 years and above in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sex. I am replying in her absence. (191395)
	The table below contains the numbers of deaths in England and Wales with an underlying cause included in the National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths. Numbers are provided by sex and standard ONS age group from 1997 to 2006, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			  Number of alcohol-related deaths( 1)  by age group and sex, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2) 
			   Under 20  20-29  30-39  40-49  50-59  60 plus  All ages 
			  Male
			 1997 8 36 280 720 843 1,146 3,033 
			 1998 8 47 326 800 893 1,238 3,312 
			 1999 3 42 304 792 1,004 1,253 3,398 
			 2000 5 38 293 805 1,041 1,267 3,449 
			 2001 9 54 338 911 1,181 1,350 3,843 
			 2002 1 52 348 909 1,133 1,438 3,881 
			 2003 5 47 373 992 1,312 1,526 4,255 
			 2004 2 50 332 964 1,295 1,577 4,220 
			 2005 9 45 321 981 1,373 1,645 4,374 
			 2006 2 51 367 1,036 1,406 1,693 4,555 
			 
			  Female
			 1997 5 18 133 352 392 830 1,730 
			 1998 5 15 138 318 486 810 1,772 
			 1999 3 20 170 428 478 801 1,900 
			 2000 2 30 164 406 524 827 1,953 
			 2001 1 16 161 441 564 869 2,052 
			 2002 0 20 147 494 539 895 2,095 
			 2003 3 26 185 444 585 927 2,170 
			 2004 2 21 189 464 631 961 2,268 
			 2005 1 22 176 498 637 919 2,253 
			 2006 1 33 167 548 661 999 2,409 
			 (1) Selected using the National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9,) codes listed as follows were used for years from 1997 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes from 2001 onwards.  ICD-9: 291: Alcoholic psychoses 303: Alcohol dependence syndrome 305.0: Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 425.5: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 571: Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (excluding 571.6: Biliary cirrhosis) E860: Accidental poisoning by alcohol  ICD- 10: F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol G31.2: Denegration of nervous system due to alcohol G62.1: Alcoholic polyneuropathy I42.6: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy K29.2: Alcoholic gastritis K70: Alcoholic liver disease K73: Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K74: Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excluding K74.3-K74.5: Biliary cirrhosis) K86.0: Alcohol induced pancreatitis X45: Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65: Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol Y15: Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Census: Sexuality

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what consultation the Office for National Statistics has undertaken on the inclusion of a question relating to sexual orientation on the 2011 census; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the number of UK residents who consider themselves to be  (a) gay male,  (b) bisexual male,  (c) bisexual female and  (d) transgender; and what methodology the Office uses to make such estimates.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 3 March 2008:
	The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent questions asking what consultation the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has undertaken on the inclusion of a question relating to sexuality on the 2011 Census and what estimate has been made of the number of UK residents who consider themselves to be (a) gay male, (b) male bisexual, (c) female bisexual and (d) transgender; and what methodology the Office uses to make any such estimates. I am replying in her absence. (190327, 190328)
	ONS has undertaken extensive consultation with users of census data regarding the topics and questions to be asked in the 2011 Census. A formal public consultation was carried out from May to August 2005, the details of which are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/consultations/2011Census.asp
	The ONS response to the consultation was published in March 2006 and details can be found at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/consultations/2011Census_response.asp
	Consultation has continued through public road shows, the National Statistics website, and meetings with stakeholders and user groups.
	The consultation identified an increasing requirement for information on sexual identity. ONS regards meeting this requirement as a priority but takes the view that there are better ways than the census to collect timely and reliable information on sexual identity. A paper setting out the rationale is in the response link shown above.
	The Office for National Statistics does not at present produce estimates of the number of UK residents who consider themselves to be gay, bisexual or transgender.
	In view of the clear need for information about sexual identity ONS has initiated a Sexual Identity Project with the aim of developing a question (or set of questions) on sexual identity which can be used on social surveys and for equality monitoring purposes. A number of focus group studies have been carried out as well as a series of trials on the National Statistics Omnibus Survey. Transgender relates to gender not sexual identity and is not covered by the project.
	As acceptable question(s) are developed, after testing they will be added to the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) in 2009.
	Information on the Sexual Identity Project detailing the work completed so far and outlining a future programme of work can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/measuring-equality/sexual-identity/default.asp

Copyright: Enforcement

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what funding he has  (a) given and  (b) plans to give to local authorities to enforce section 107A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; what (i) discussions he has had and (ii) representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: As part of the 2006 pre-Budget report, the then Chancellor announced 5 million in new funding for councils in the United Kingdom in 2007-08 to fund the new burden on local authorities as a result of the introduction of section 107A and 198A of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. Funding was rolled into revenue support grant (RSG) at the first available opportunity as part of the first three year settlement for local Government covering 2008-09 to 2010-11. RSG is not hypothecated to a particular service and it is not therefore possible to identify amounts provided for particular initiatives.
	The spending plans for local Government announced in the comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07) covering RSG, and the settlement for the devolved Administrations, take into account local authorities' responsibilities under s107A and 198A. These plans reflect the discussions which the Department had with each Government Department and with interested bodies such as local authorities, during CSR07. The Government worked closely with local authorities to identify the pressures councils faced, and the scope for managing them.
	In relation to representations on this issue, Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions disciplinary action has been taken against staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   HMT  HMRC  OGCBS  OGC  NSandI  DM0  GAD  VOA  RM  ONS 
			 1990 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1991 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1992 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1993 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1994 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1995 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 30 n/a n/a 
			 1996 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 30 n/a n/a 
			 1997 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 14 n/a n/a 
			 1998 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 37 n/a n/a 
			 1999 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 12 n/a n/a 
			 2000 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 28 n/a n/a 
			 2001 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 19 n/a n/a 
			 2002 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 37 n/a n/a 
			 2003 5 n/a 5 n/a 0 0 0 34 23 n/a 
			 2004 5 n/a 0 n/a 5 0 0 34 42 8 
			 2005 5 n/a 5 5 5 0 0 25 32 28 
			 2006 8 n/a 0 5 0 0 0 75 29 30 
			 2007 7 483 5 5 5 0 0 80 24 14 
			 .=.Less than. n/a = Not available.  Notes: 1. OGC was formed in 2000 by the merger of CCTA, PACE and HMT staff. 0GC buying solutions was formed as an Executive Agency in 2001. HMRC was created in 2005 following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. 2. When the number is less than five, the exact number cannot be disclosed on grounds of confidentiality. 3. The years for which figures are not available cannot be provided because this would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulatory impact assessments his Department has conducted in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: As is the case with all Government Departments, HM Treasury publishes its impact assessments on its website. In the past 12 months, my Department has produced 22 impact assessments to accompany consultations and 11 final impact assessments.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Angela Eagle: The capital value and start date for every signed PFI project are recorded centrally on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm

Drugs: Death

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths related to the misuse of zed tranquillisers were recorded in Wales where  (a) such abuse was the only drug-related cause of death recorded and  (b) misuse of other drugs was recorded as a contributory cause between 1999 and 2006.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 3 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths related to the misuse of zed tranquilisers were recorded in Wales where (a) such abuse was the only drug-related cause of death recorded and (b) misuse of other drugs were recorded as a contributory cause between 1999 and 2006. I am replying in her absence. (190208)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports annually on deaths related to drug poisoning and drug misuse in England and Wales. ONS defines drug misuse deaths as deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning and where any drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act was involved.
	'Zed tranquilisers' are taken to be the three non-benzodiazepine hypnotics: zaleplon, zolpidem and zopiclone. These are not controlled substances and so are not included in ONS statistics on drug-misuse deaths.
	In 1999-2006 there were no drug poisoning deaths for Wales where zaleplon, zolpidem or zopiclone were the only drugs mentioned on the death record. The number of drug poisoning deaths, where these substances were mentioned with other drugs on the death record, is provided in the table below for the years 1999-2006.
	
		
			  Deaths from drug poisoning( 1)  where zaleplon, zolpidem or zopiclone were mentioned on the death record, Wales( 2) , 1999 to 2006( 3) 
			   Number of deaths 
			 1999 1 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 1 
			 2002  
			 2003 1 
			 2004  
			 2005 2 
			 2006 2 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 292, 303, 305.2-305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E980.0-E980.5 and E962,0 for the years 1999 and 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 andY10-Y14 from 2001 onwards. (2) Deaths of usual residents of Wales. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Emigration

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many emigrants from the UK counted for the purpose of calculating emigration were  (a) UK nationals,  (b) UK nationals of working age and  (c) skilled workers who were UK nationals of working age in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what percentage of the total emigration figure in each year each of these figures represent;
	(2)  from which 20 countries the most immigrants to the UK came in each of the last 10 years; and how many of each nationality immigrated in each year;
	(3)  how many  (a) UK nationals and  (b) non-UK nationals emigrated from the UK in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) age and (ii) sex.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 3 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your questions relating to nationality of migrants:
	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, from which 20 countries the most immigrants to the UK came in each of the last 10 years; and how many of each nationality immigrated in each year. (177406)
	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) UK nationals and (b) non-UK nationals emigrated from the UK in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) age and (ii) sex. (177411)
	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many emigrants from the UK counted for the purpose of calculating emigration were (a) UK nationals, (b) UK nationals of working age and (c) skilled workers who were UK nationals of working age in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what percentage of the total emigration figure in each year each of these figures represent. (177453)
	I am replying in her absence.
	A long-term international migrant is defined as someone who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year, so that the country of destination effectively becomes the country of usual residence. This is the United Nations recommended definition of a long-term international migrant and is the definition used for calculating population estimates and projections.
	Total International Migration (TIM) estimates provide the most comprehensive figures on long-term international migration. The main source for producing these estimates is the International Passenger Survey (IPS).
	While other migration flows, not captured by the IPS, are included in the TIM estimates, the nature of these other data sources and the methods used to produce TIM mean that some detailed queries can only be answered using the IPS. As a sample survey, data from the IPS are subject to a statistical margin of error.
	For IPS purposes citizenship is taken to be the nationality of the passport being used by the passenger and in this context 'British' includes the whole of the UK and Gibraltar. These definitions have been used in providing the information you have requested.
	Table 1 lists the top 20 citizenships of those migrating into the UK in each of the years 1997 to 2006. The top category in each year, British citizens, predominantly comprises British passport holders returning to the UK after a stay of a year or more abroad. As indicated in the table, estimates for some of the top 20 countries have a wide margin of statistical sampling error. For this reason, in Table 2, estimated numbers are presented for combined years for the top 10 countries only. The tables all refer to the citizenship of the immigrant, not their country of last residence. (177406)
	Table 3 attached, shows how many British nationals and non British nationals emigrated from the UK in each of the years between 1997 and 2006 (the latest year available), broken down by age group and sex. (177411)
	Table 4, attached, gives the International Passenger Survey estimates of emigration of British citizens by working age and previous occupation and as a percentage of total emigration, for the United Kingdom. IPS data do not specifically identify 'skilled workers'. The closest prosy is 'usual occupation prior to migration' which is based on very broad occupational groupings. Most of those in the 'professional and managerial' category could be considered skilled workers although some, such as professionals taking early retirement would not fall under this category. Also, the 'manual and clerical' grouping, which covers all other workers, may include some skilled workers such as tradesmen and so this is also shown for information. (177453)
	
		
			  Table I International migration, estimates from the International Passenger Survey, top 20 citizenships migrating into the UK, time series 1997 to 2006, part I 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			 1 British British British British British 
			 2 France(1) Australia Australia Australia Australia 
			 3 Australia United States of America United States of America India France(1) 
			 4 United States of America France(1) France(1) China (Peoples Republic) India 
			 5 Malaysia New Zealand New Zealand France(1) Germany 
			 6 India Greece South Africa United States of America South Africa 
			 7 Greece(1) South Africa China (Peoples Republic) South Africa(1) China (Peoples Republic) 
			 8 Germany(1) Italy(1) India New Zealand United States of America 
			 9 Japan Germany(1) Greece(1) Germany(1) Philippines 
			 10 New Zealand Spain(1) Germany(1) Pakistan New Zealand 
			 11 South Africa(1) Japan Pakistan(1) Italy(1) Pakistan(1) 
			 12 Pakistan India Japan Canada(1) South Korea(1) 
			 13 Bangladesh Malaysia(1) Philippines(1) Japan Malaysia 
			 14 Canada(1) Canada(1) Slovakia(1) Philippines Japan 
			 15 Netherlands(1) China (Peoples Republic)(1) Italy(1) Malaysia Bangladesh 
			 16 Sweden(1) Mauritius(1) Malaysia Nigeria(1) Greece(1) 
			 17 South Korea(1) Pakistan Denmark(1) Greece(1) Canada(1) 
			 18 Spain(1) Sweden(1) Belgium(1) South Korea(1) Zimbabwe(1) 
			 19 Cyprus(1) Netherlands(1) Austria(1) Netherlands(1) Thailand 
			 20 Finland(1) Denmark(1) Kenya(1) Sri Lanka Hungary(1) 
			 (1 )Countries where the estimate has a standard error 25 per cent., these estimates are considered less reliable than other estimates.  Notes: 1. The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous voluntary sample survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics. It covers the principal air, sea and channel tunnel routes between the UK and countries outside the British Isles.  2. This table relates solely to the IPS. IPS data form the major part of international migration. However, total international migration estimates are produced by combining migration data from the IPS, Home Office data on asylum seekers, migration data between the UK and the Irish Republic and adjustments for 'switchers', i.e. those whose initial length of stay intentions are not realised.  Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table I International migration, estimates from the International Passenger Survey, top 20 citizenships migrating into the UK, time series 1997 to 2006, part 2 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 1 British British British British British 
			 2 China (Peoples Republic) China (Peoples Republic) India Poland Poland 
			 3 South Africa India China (Peoples Republic) India India 
			 4 India France(1) South Africa South Africa Pakistan 
			 5 Philippines Australia Australia China (Peoples Republic) Australia 
			 6 Australia South Africa Pakistan Australia China (Peoples Republic) 
			 7 United States of America United States of America Poland(1) Pakistan South Africa 
			 8 Germany(1) Philippines United States of America United States of America United States of America 
			 9 New Zealand Pakistan Philippines Germany(1) Germany 
			 10 Spain(1) Portugal(1) Germany(1) New Zealand New Zealand 
			 11 France(1) New Zealand Lithuania(1) Japan(1) Philippines(1) 
			 12 Japan(1) Germany(1) France(1) Philippines Bangladesh 
			 13 Pakistan Ghana Nigeria Bangladesh Nigeria 
			 14 Italy(1) Netherlands(1) New Zealand Spain(1) Slovakia(1) 
			 15 Canada Canada Zimbabwe(1) Nigeria Thailand(1) 
			 16 Hong Kong(1) Sri Lanka Spain(1) Czech state(1) France(1) 
			 17 Netherlands(1) Japan Czech state(1) Slovakia(1) Malaysia(1) 
			 18 Kenya(1) Malaysia(1) Slovakia(1) Sri Lanka(1) Canada 
			 19 Sri Lanka Bangladesh Sweden(1) Malaysia(1) Spain(1) 
			 20 Greece(1) Nigeria Thailand(1) Italy(1) Sri Lanka 
			 (1 )Countries where the estimate has a standard error 25 per cent., these estimates are considered less reliable than other estimates.  Notes: 1. The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous voluntary sample survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics. It covers the principal air, sea and channel tunnel routes between the UK and countries outside the British Isles.  2. This table relates solely to the IPS. IPS data form the major part of international migration. However, total international migration estimates are produced by combining migration data from the IPS, Home Office data on asylum seekers, migration data between the UK and the Irish Republic and adjustments for 'switchers', i.e. those whose initial length of stay intentions are not realised.  Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 International migration, top 10 citizenships migrating to the UK, estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 1997 to 2006 in 2 year groupings 
			   l997-98  1999-2000  2001-02 
			Estimate   Estimate   Estimate 
			  All citizenships 591 All citizenships 713 All citizenships 758 
			 1 British 195 British 214 British 207 
			 2 Australia 39 Australia 50 Australia 51 
			 3 France 36 United States of America 31 China (Peoples Republic) 43 
			 4 United States of America 30 China (Peoples Republic 28 India 37 
			 5 Greece 2 France 28 South Africa 35 
			 6 New Zealand 21 India 27 Philippines 33 
			 7 Germany 17 South Africa 26 United States of America 30 
			 8 South Africa 16 New Zealand 25 Germany 28 
			 9 India 16 Germany 20 France 25 
			 10 Malaysia 15 Pakistan 17 New Zealand 21 
		
	
	
		
			   2003-04  2005-06 
			Estimate   Estimate 
			  All citizenships 945 All citizenships 1,025 
			 1 British 183 British 169 
			 2 India 81 Poland 109 
			 3 China (Peoples Republic 63 India 103 
			 4 South Africa 50 Pakistan 47 
			 5 Australia 48 Australia 46 
			 6 Pakistan 31 China (Peoples Republic) 45 
			 7 France 31 South Africa 41 
			 8 United States of America 30 United States of America 31 
			 9 Philippines 23 Germany 26 
			 10 Poland(1) 19 New Zealand 24 
			 (1 )Countries where the estimate has a standard error 25 per cent., these estimates are considered less reliable than other estimates.  Notes: 1. The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous voluntary sample survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics. It covers the principal air, sea and channel tunnel routes between the UK and countries outside the British Isles.  2. This table relates solely to the IPS. IPS data form the major part of international migration. However, total international migration estimates are produced by combining migration data from the IPS, Home Office data on asylum seekers, migration data between the UK and the Irish Republic and adjustments for 'switchers', i.e. those whose initial length of stay intentions are not realised.  Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: International migration, estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 1997 to 2006, migration from the UK by citizenship, broad age group and sex: United Kingdom 
			   All ages  Under 15  
			   Persons  Males  Females  Persons  Males  Females  Persons  Males  Females 
			  British  
			 1997 135 75 60 16 (1)8 8 35 16 19 
			 1998 114 60 54 13 9 (1)4 20 (1)9 11 
			 1999 115 70 45 13 (1)11 (1)2 24 15 9 
			 2000 141 81 60 15 (1)6 (1)9 26 16 10 
			 2001 133 78 55 14 (1)8 (1)6 25 10 15 
			 2002 164 90 74 (1)15 (1)10 (1)5 33 17 17 
			 2003 170 97 72 18 (1)10 (1)9 27 15 12 
			 2004 184 90 95 16 (1)7 (1)10 29 15 15 
			 2005 174 110 65 20 (1)9 (1)11 23 14 9 
			 2006 196 114 83 18 10 (1)9 26 15 10 
			   
			  Non-British   
			 1997 97 50 47 9 5 (1)4 33 19 14 
			 1998 91 43 48 8 (1)4 (1)4 34 12 21 
			 1999 130 62 68 10 (1)7 (1)4 42 16 26 
			 2000 137 72 64 7 (1)3 (1)4 40 19 21 
			 2001 117 57 60 7 (1)4 (1)3 34 15 19 
			 2002 141 71 70 (1)6 (1)3 (1)3 41 17 24 
			 2003 144 68 77 11 (1)7 (1)4 42 13 28 
			 2004 126 62 64 (1)8 (1)4 (1)4 40 16 23 
			 2005 154 78 77 (1)4 (1)3 (1)1 50 27 23 
			 2006 173 94 79 (1)8 (1)5 (1)3 53 20 32 
		
	
	
		
			   25-44  45-59/64( 2)  60/65( 2)  and over 
			   Persons  Males  Females  Persons  Males  Females  Persons  Males  Females 
			  British  
			 1997 68 41 27 10 (1)8 (1)2 (1)5 (1)2 (1)3 
			 1998 65 34 31 (1)10 (1)7 (1)4 (1)6 (1)2 (1)4 
			 1999 57 34 24 16 (1)9 (1)7 (1)4 (1)1 (1)3 
			 2000 74 44 29 22 (1)14 (1)8 (1)4 (1)1 (1)3 
			 2001 60 37 23 27 (1)20 (1)7 (1)6 (1)3 (1)3 
			 2002 77 46 31 31 16 (1)15 (1)7 (1)1 (1)6 
			 2003 81 49 33 35 19 16 (1)7 (1)5 (1)2 
			 2004 84 46 38 46 21 25 (1)9 (1)2 (1)7 
			 2005 90 64 27 25 18 (1)8 (1)16 (1)6 (1)10 
			 2006 98 57 41 32 22 (1)9 (1)22 (1)9 (1)13 
			   
			  Non-British   
			 1997 48 22 26 (1)7 (1)4 (1)3 (1)1   
			 1998 43 23 20 (1)6 (1)4 (1)2
			 1999 68 33 35 (1)7 (1)6 (1)2 (1)2  (1)2 
			 2000 83 46 37 (1)6 (1)3 (1)3
			 2001 70 35 35 (1)5 (1)2 (1)2 (1)1 (1)1 (1)1 
			 2002 83 44 40 (1)10 (1)6 (1)4 (1)1 (1)1  
			 2003 85 44 41 (1)5 (1)3 (1)2 (1)1  (1)1 
			 2004 74 39 35 (1)3 (1)2 (1)1 (1)2 (1)1 (1)1 
			 2005 85 39 45 (1)11 (1)8 (1)3 (1)4  (1)4 
			 2006 102 63 38 (1)9 (1)6 (1)3 (1)2  (1)2 
			 (1 )Figures are where the estimate has a standard error 25 per cent., these estimates are considered less reliable than other estimates. (2) Age groups are split above and below retirement age. This is 60 for females and 65 for males.  Notes: 1. The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous voluntary sample survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics. It covers the principal air, sea and channel tunnel routes between the UK and countries outside the British Isles. 2. This table relates solely to the IPS. IPS data forms the major part of international migration. However, total international migration estimates are produced by combining migration data from the IPS, Home Office data on asylum seekers, migration data between the UK and the Irish Republic and adjustments for 'switchers', i.e. those whose initial length of stay intentions are not realised. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: International migration, estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 1997 to 2006 (calendar year), emigration of British citizens by working age( 1)  and previous occupation( 2)  and as a percentage of total emigration, United Kingdom 
			  Thousand 
			Aged 16-59/64( 1) 
			   All agesProfessional and managerial  Manual and clerical 
			   Estimate  Percentage of total emigration  Estimate  Percentage of total emigration  Estimate  Percentage of total emigration  Estimate  Percentage of total emigration 
			 1997 135 58 113 49 58 25 27 11 
			 1998 114 56 94 46 48 23 23 11 
			 1999 115 47 97 40 52 21 31 13 
			 2000 141 51 121 44 75 27 28 10 
			 2001 133 53 111 45 59 23 31 12 
			 2002 164 54 141 46 77 25 34 11 
			 2003 170 54 144 46 64 20 54 17 
			 2004 184 59 158 51 72 23 47 15 
			 2005 174 53 138 42 81 25 38 12 
			 2006 196 53 154 42 75 20 48 13 
			 (1 )The working age population is defined as men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59. (2 )Usual occupation before migration.  Note: 1. The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous voluntary sample survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics. It covers the principal air, sea and channel tunnel routes between the UK and countries outside the British Isles. 2. This table relates solely to the IPS. IPS data form the major part of international migration. However, total international migration estimates are produced by combining migration data from the IPS, Home Office data on asylum seekers, migration data between the UK and the Irish Republic and adjustments for 'switchers', i.e. those whose initial length of stay intentions are not realised.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Fraud

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have been dismissed for fraudulent activity in each year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   HMT  HMRC  OGCBS  OGC  NS I  DMO  GAD  VOA  RM  ONS 
			 1990 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 1991 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 1992 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 1993 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 1994 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 1995 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 5 0 n/a 
			 1996 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 n/a 
			 1997 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 n/a 
			 1998 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 1999 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 2000 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 2001 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 2002 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 2003 0 n/a 5 n/a 0 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 2004 0 n/a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2005 0 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2006 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 
			 2007 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  = Less than n/a = Not available  Notes: 1. OGC was formed in 2000 by the merger of CCTA, PACE and HMT staff. OGC buying.solutions was formed as an Executive agency in 2001. HMRC was created in 2005 following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. 2. When the number is less than five, the exact number cannot be disclosed on grounds of confidentiality. 3. The years for which figures are not available cannot be provided because this would involve disproportionate cost.

Fraud

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations into suspected fraudulent activity by staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have been undertaken in each year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   HMT  HMRC  OGCBS  OGC  NSI  DMO  GAD  VOA  RM  ONS 
			 1990 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 1991 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 1992 5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 1993 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 1994 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 1995 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 7 0 n/a 
			 1996 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 6 0 n/a 
			 1997 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5 0 n/a 
			 1998 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 5 0 n/a 
			 1999 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 5 0 n/a 
			 2000 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 5 0 n/a 
			 2001 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 5 0 n/a 
			 2002 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 5 5 n/a 
			 2003 0 n/a 5 n/a 0 0 0 5 0 n/a 
			 2004 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 0 0 5 0 n/a 
			 2005 0 39 5 5 5 0 0 5 0 17 
			 2006 5 33 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 17 
			 2007 0 24 5 0 0 0 0 5 0 8 
			  = Less than n/a = Not available  Notes: 1. OGC was formed in 2000 by the merger of CCTA, PACE and HMT staff. OGC buying.solutions was formed as an Executive agency in April 2001. HMRC was created in 2005 following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. The HMRC figures provided are on a financial year basis.  2. When the number is less than five, the exact number cannot be disclosed on grounds of confidentiality. 3. The years for which figures are not available cannot be provided because this would involve disproportionate cost.

Government Departments: Property

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 332W, on Government Departments: property, what the address was of each empty property listed in the answer, according to records held in the e-PIMS database.

Angela Eagle: A list of the addresses of current vacant space recorded on e-PIMS has been placed in the Libraries.
	The current total area of actual vacant space (excluding sensitive records) is 208,537 m2. This represents 1.44 per cent. of the total space recorded in e-PlMS.
	As e-PIMS is a live service, vacant records may have been added or removed since the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 332W. This demonstrates that vacant space on the Government estate is being actively managed by Government organisations that have that space.
	The answer covers both properties that are entirely or only partially vacant. To distinguish between those properties would incur disproportionate cost. In the case of partially vacant properties, only the area of vacant space is given.
	The sensitive marker on e-PIMS is used to protect buildings held by the security services or for other sensitive purposes. Information on these buildings is excluded from data made publicly available.

Insurance: Public Participation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, column 393W, on insurance: public participation, which small independent brokers were consulted by the Financial Services Authority in preparation of the report on the hard disclosure of commission earned by brokers of commercial insurance expected to be published shortly; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority. The Financial Services Authority commissioned the analysis by CRA 'Commercial insurance commission disclosure: Market Failure Analysis and high level Cost Benefit Analysis' as a part of its ongoing review of appropriate commission disclosure on insurance sold to commercial customers. The full CRA report and the FSA program of work can be found at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2007/126.shtml

International Finance Facility for Immunisation: Cost-effectiveness

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation.

Jane Kennedy: Vaccines are cheap and effective ways of saving lives. Diseases like smallpox, measles, and polio have already been successfully controlled or even eradicated with the help of vaccines. There are strong reasons for frontloading resources for vaccine distribution through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). When a child is vaccinated, it not only reduces the risk to him/her, but also reduces the risk to others who come in contact with the child, preventing the spread of disease.
	The World Health Organisation has estimated that spending $4 billion through IFFIm without frontloading would save an estimated 2.5 million lives before 2015. But by frontloading $4 billion, twice as many livesan estimated five millioncould be saved in the years to 2015, and a further five million afterwards.
	Through IFFIm funding, by the end of 2007, an estimated 14.5 million children will have been reached with vaccine against hepatitis B, and 4.4 million children with vaccine against yellow feversaving the lives of children in the world's poorest countries.

Lung Cancer

Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of lung cancer were diagnosed in each cancer network in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 3 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of lung cancer were diagnosed in each cancer network in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (190040)
	The most recent available figures for newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer registered in England are for the year 2005. Figures for patients diagnosed with lung cancer by Cancer Network in England for the years 1997 to 2005 are in the table.
	
		
			  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of lung( 1)  cancer by Cancer Network( 2)  in England, 1997-2005 
			  Cancer Network  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England 32,048 31,613 31,787 31,529 31,231 30,451 30,550 30,408 30,997 
			 Lancashire and South Cumbria 1,095 1,049 1,075 1,064 1,061 1,061 1,087 1,157 1,094 
			 Greater Manchester and Cheshire 2,314 2,282 2,250 2,221 2,263 1,998 2,149 2,300 2,282 
			 Merseyside and Cheshire 1,792 1,838 1,816 1,848 1,831 1,779 1,689 1,721 1,816 
			 Yorkshire 1,826 1,852 1,745 1,848 1,814 1,816 1,837 1,804 1,747 
			 Humber and Yorkshire Coast 715 790 804 787 775 788 803 745 707 
			 North Trent 1,413 1,332 1,365 1,426 1,358 1,378 1,388 1,324 1,449 
			 Pan Birmingham 1,287 1,198 1,297 1,242 1,145 1,171 1,124 1,188 1,240 
			 Arden 569 576 563 512 508 578 554 536 536 
			 Mid Trent 1,088 991 1,042 1,088 1,069 1,084 1,010 1,126 1,006 
			 Derby / Burton 406 406 441 399 419 368 399 430 445 
			 Leicestershire Northants and Rutland 803 857 838 895 829 773 873 868 918 
			 Mount Vernon 698 663 634 600 638 612 561 578 645 
			 West London 858 878 838 837 829 799 802 744 814 
			 North London 767 802 783 745 725 724 676 697 679 
			 North East London 914 918 884 920 857 761 826 725 744 
			 South East London 984 968 870 919 862 806 845 827 848 
			 South West London 789 833 782 842 757 740 726 717 707 
			 Peninsula 993 944 958 951 1,011 1,008 1,001 915 1,020 
			 Dorset 438 429 507 451 502 479 473 404 438 
			 Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire 1,031 923 1,078 938 1,031 895 937 1,026 1,031 
			 3 Counties 528 531 566 529 531 491 504 479 524 
			 Thames Valley 1,031 1,079 1,106 1,015 1,010 973 1,031 1,025 1,006 
			 Central South Coast 1,101 1,131 1,235 1,072 1,140 1,123 1,101 1,051 1,100 
			 Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire 610 556 528 608 559 532 572 516 516 
			 Sussex 736 759 734 744 733 720 674 680 725 
			 Kent and Medway 1,075 985 937 1,017 943 913 897 976 960 
			 Greater Midlands 1,166 1,199 1,168 1,188 1,210 1,166 1,211 1,155 1,149 
			 North of England 2,807 2,721 2,733 2,688 2,697 2,683 2,631 2,497 2,579 
			 Anglia 1,455 1,367 1,420 1,384 1,327 1,398 1,387 1,426 1,501 
			 Essex 759 756 790 751 797 834 782 771 771 
			 (1) Lung cancer is coded to C34 in the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) (2 )Cancer Network boundaries as at January 2008.  Source:  Office for National Statistics

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the environmental consequences of levying vehicle excise duty based on a sliding scale of emissions.

Angela Eagle: In taking taxation decisions as part of the Budget process the Government assess a range of options, bringing all relevant environmental, social and economic factors into consideration.
	The environmental signals provided by vehicle excise duty will help deliver reductions in CO2 emissions. For example, the number of vehicles in the three lowest CO2 emission graduated VED bands is forecast to grow significantly in the longer term in part due to VED reform.

National Insurance Fund

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received advice from the Acting Government Actuary on the recommended minimum balance in the National Insurance Fund.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 361W.

Northern Rock

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is due to be paid to the Virgin consortium from the public purse in relation to Northern Rock; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 25 February 2008
	As announced by Northern Rock on 26 November 2007, the company agreed to cover certain expenses in connection with the indicative proposal from the Virgin consortium. Paying such expenses is standard as part of bidding processes of this nature.
	As a commercial bank, Northern Rock will pay these expenses out of its own income, not from the taxpayer.

Northern Rock

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the quality rating of Northern Rock mortgage security is  (a) within Northern Rock and not otherwise committed,  (b) within Northern Rock and committed to the Bank of England and  (c) committed to the Granite Master Trust.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 25 February 2008
	The Financial Services Authority has confirmed Northern Rock continues to be solvent and has a good quality mortgage book.
	Further information on the size and nature of the contractual relationship between Northern Rock and Granite is publicly available in the full Granite prospectus on the Northern Rock website.

Northern Rock: Government Assistance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of loans advanced to Northern Rock on the Government's  (a) public sector borrowing requirement and  (b) sustainable debt rule; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Northern Rock liabilities classified to the public sector are temporary, backed by significant assets, and do not represent any meaningful measure of fiscal sustainability. The code for fiscal stability, underpinned by legislation passed by this House, provides for such situations.

Northern Rock: Granite

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the size is of the minimum seller share that Northern Rock is required to maintain in the Granite Master Trust.

Diane Abbott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will clarify the legal, institutional and financial relationships between Northern Rock and Granite; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: This information is publicly available in the full Granite prospectus on the Northern Rock website.
	The prospectus sets out the contractual agreement between Northern Rock and the Granite securitisation vehicle.
	Banks and building societies often use securitisation vehicles as a means of financing.
	A copy of a letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 20 February clarifying the relationship between Northern Rock and Granite has been placed in the House Library.

Now Let's Talk Money

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1020W, on 'Now Let's Talk Money', what funding his Department plans to provide to the campaign in each year from 2008-09 onwards.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Government have announced that the continuing 'Now Let's Talk Money' campaign will be delivered through the new Financial inclusion champions initiative in 2008-11. The Government have allocated 12 million to the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver the Financial inclusion champions initiative in 2008-11. This funding will be profiled as 4 million in 2008-09, 4 million in 2009-10 and 4 million in 2010-11.

Pensions

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider bringing the proposed link with earnings for pensions forward in preparing for his forthcoming Budget.

Angela Eagle: The Government have already set out their commitment to link the basic state pension to earnings in the next Parliament. A decision to bring forward that link would require additional spending on state pensions over and above the reform package set out in the May 2006 White Paper and agreed in the Pensions Act 2007.

Personal Savings

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response his Department has made to the conclusion of the 2002 Sandler Review that the use of money from the inherited estate of with-profit funds to write new business distorts competition; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for the regulation of life insurance and the inherited estate. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires the FSA to have regard to seven principles of good regulation including the desirability of facilitating competition between those it regulates and the need to minimise the adverse effects on competition that may arise from anything done in the discharge of its functions. The FSA made major changes to the way it regulates after its With Profits Review but, following consultation, it found that Sandler's specific recommendations in this area were not practical because of possible incompatibility with EU law and the potential impact on the mutuals sector.
	The issue is covered in the FSA's Discussion paper on issues for with-profits business arising from the Sandier Review.(1)
	(1) Available at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/discussion/dp20.pdf
	The Treasury responded to the recommendations of the Sandier review by launching the stakeholder suite, a range of simple, accessible and charge-capped savings products.

Population

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the population density of  (a) Bridgend,  (b) Wales,  (c) England and  (d) the UK was in each year since 1995;
	(2)  what forecasts he has made of population density in Bridgend in  (a) 2031 and  (b) 2056 based on statistics from the (i) Government Actuary Department and (ii) the Office of National Statistics.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 3 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your questions concerning population density:
	To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the population density of (a) Bridgend, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) the UK was in each year since 1995 (191158)
	To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what forecasts he has made of population density in Bridgend in (a) 2031 and (b) 2056 based on statistics from the (i) Government Actuaries Department and (ii) the office for National Statistics.
	I am replying in her absence.
	The table below shows population density figures calculated for each mid-year estimate from 1995 to 2006 for the areas requested. Mid-2006 are the latest population density estimates available.
	Subnational population projections within Wales are a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government. They advise that Population projections are not currently published at local authority level for Wales. Projections are available at regional level. The Welsh Assembly Government plan to publish population projections at local authority level in summer 2008.
	
		
			  Population density for mid-year estimates 1995 to 2006 
			  Persons per square kilometre 
			  Area  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 United Kingdom 239 240 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 250 
			 England 371 372 374 375 376 378 380 381 383 385 387 390 
			 Wales 139 139 140 140 140 140 140 141 141 142 142 143 
			 Bridgend UA 516 513 510 513 513 511 513 516 519 523 525 529 
			  Sources: Office for National Statistics General Register Office for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Public Sector Net Cash Requirement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate Government borrowing since 1997 when calculated in line with the latest international financial reporting standards on the recording of private public partnership liabilities.

Angela Eagle: Public sector net borrowing (PSNB) is assessed using National Accounts data compiled by the independent Office for National Statistics. The Government announced at Budget 2007 to move to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the annual resource accounts of public bodies from 2008-09. It is too early to say what implications the IFRS based accounting guidance for public private partnerships might have for PSNB.

Revenue and Customs: Pay

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs employees were paid  (a) over 60,000 and  (b) over 100,000 per annum, inclusive of bonuses, in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Following the merger of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise in April 2005, three payroll systems were in operation during the 2006-07 financial year.
	To obtain the requested information from both the archived and current payroll systems would be disproportionate and resource intensive.
	HMRC's headcount was 92,238 at 1 November 2007. Information provided has been based on number of staff who, were paid at the annual rate of  (a) 60,000 to 99,999 and  (b) 100,000 and over on this date.
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			 60,000 to 99,999 1,220 
			 100,000 and above 50 
			 Total 1,270

Tax Credits Office: Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed in his Department's Tax Credits Office.

Jane Kennedy: At 1 February 2008 around 4,500 HM Revenue and Customs staff members were employed in Tax Credit Office (TCO). This figure includes part time staff and is equivalent to around 3,950 full time staff.

Taxation: Bingo

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on revenue from amusement machine licence duty of bingo club closures in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: An updated forecast of total betting and gaming duties, which includes amusement machine licence duty receipts, will be published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

Taxation: Bingo

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors were considered when setting the current rate of gross profit tax for licensed bingo; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The Government consider all relevant factors when establishing and maintaining fair regimes for the gambling taxes. The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and decisions about gambling taxation are made each year at Budget alongside all other tax decisions.

Taxation: Bingo

David Marshall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice his Department has received on the similarities between the taxation of bingo played in licensed clubs and the tax treatment of player-to-player poker in casinos.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Taxation: Bingo

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the fairness of the tax regime applying to bingo as compared with that which applies to other forms of gambling.

Angela Eagle: The average effective rate of taxation applied to bingo is comparable to the average effective rate of taxation that applies to other forms of gambling such as casino gaming, gaming machines and the lottery.

Taxation: Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of people affected by his decision to levy tax on pension funds above 1.8 million rather than of 1.4 million and  (b) the effect on revenue to the Exchequer of (i) his decision to levy tax on pension funds above 1.8 million instead of 1.4 million, (ii) his decision to levy tax on pension funds above 1.4 million at 55 per cent. rather than 60 per cent. and (iii) his decision to delay the introduction of the 55 per cent. tax on pension funds above 1.4 million until 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member the answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1643W.
	The exit charge on funds crystallized in excess of the life time allowance (LTA) is designed to place a maximum on tax relieved pension saving. We do not expect the exit charge to raise significant revenue and there is negligible Exchequer cost of reducing the rate to 55 per cent..
	The exit charge on funds in excess was introduced on 6 April 2006. No decision was taken to delay its introduction until 2010.

VAT: Bingo

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from bingo clubs in Hendon constituency on the impact of liability of bingo clubs to both value-added tax and gross profits tax.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Welfare Tax Credits

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many man hours officials in his Department spent on average on each tax credits claimant in each year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: This information is not available in the format requested.

JUSTICE

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: My Department offers flexible working arrangements to the majority of our employees. Under these arrangements the ability to work from home is one option that is available to most grades on both a formal and an ad hoc basis. As there is no requirement to maintain records of arrangements centrally, this information could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Translation Services

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of his Department's translation and interpreting work is outsourced under framework agreements with commercial providers; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: My Department meets the requirements for translation work through a combination of in-house provision and outsourcing through framework agreements with commercial providers.
	For the majority of face-to-face interpreting work the Department engages individuals registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters on the basis of the fees set out in accordance with the Costs in Criminal Cases (General) Regulations 1986.
	Records that would allow for the proportion of translation and interpreting services to be calculated are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department and its predecessor received an  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   Named day PQs that received a substantive answer on the day named  Holding replies  
			  Session  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total named day questions 
			 2005-06 246 65 132 35 378 
			 2006-07 355 79.25 93 20.75 448 
			 5 November 2007 to 29 February 2008 262 74 92 26 354 
		
	
	Records have only been available electronically since May 2005. Therefore, information for the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Lord Chancellor's Department prior to May 2005 is not held centrally and could be provided only by manually checking paper records at a disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Appeals

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of the 359 appeals against a notice of intent to deport between 1 August and 31 October 2006 were successful; and what the grounds were for those appeals which were successful.

Jack Straw: Of the 359 oral appeal hearings against a notice of intent to deport held at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal between 1 August and 31 October 2006, 70 were successful.
	The grounds on which those appeals were successful could not be determined without examination of the individual files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Electoral Register

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish the report of his consultation on Fees for the Marked Register of Electors.

Bridget Prentice: We have been analysing the responses received on the consultation paper on 'Fees for the Marked Register of Electors produced at the UK Elections'. A response paper is currently being prepared and will be published imminently.

Electoral Register: Forms

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of whether electoral registration form RP 12 reflects the legal residency qualifications required of Commonwealth citizens to register;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of whether section 5 of the electoral registration form RP 12 identifies those individuals entitled to register as electors in Great Britain.

Bridget Prentice: There is no prescribed electoral registration form known as an RP 12, and therefore I have made no assessment.
	Under the Representation of the People Act 1983 those entitled to vote at UK Parliamentary, European Parliamentary and local government elections are those who have attained the age of 18 and who are British citizens, citizens of Commonwealth countries who are resident on a permanent basis or have leave to remain, and resident citizens of the Republic of Ireland.
	The annual canvass form and the provisions for rolling registration effectively capture a person's nationality. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will use this information to determine a person's eligibility to register. When there is doubt about eligibility the ERO may investigate and request further information from the elector.

Electoral Register: Publicity

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department has given to electoral registration officers on the promotion of credit referencing as a reason to apply for inclusion on an electoral roll on council-maintained websites.

Bridget Prentice: Responsibility for issuing guidance to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) on electoral registration lies with the Electoral Commission. I understand that it has not issued any guidance on the promotion of credit referencing as a reason to apply for inclusion on an electoral register. Promotion of electoral registration within each local authority is a matter for the independent EROs.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to promote Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 among staff within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: To increase staff awareness of Fairtrade Fortnight, the event has been highlighted on the Ministry of Justice intranet, which provides a link to the Fairtrade Foundation website.

Family Law

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms of solicitors held contracts with the Legal Services Commission for the supply of legal advice in family law matters in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: A total of 2,732 solicitors' offices held contracts with the Legal Services Commission for the supply of legal advice in family law matters, as at 30 September 2007.

Internet: Suicide

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made in implementing the suicide prevention strategy; and what assessment he has made of whether the target for the reduction in the number of suicides will be met.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The target is to reduce the death rate from suicide and injury of undetermined intent by at least a fifth by 2010. This target is measured in three-year pooled rates. Between 1995 and 1997 there were 9.2 deaths per 100,000 population and between 2004 and 2006 the rate had fallen to 8.3 deaths per 100,000 populationa fall of 10 per cent. from the baseline.
	The rate of decline had slowed, but there are now signs that the rate of decline may once again be increasing. An increased rate of decline must be sustained if the target is to be met. We are continuing to take action at local, regional and national levels to help reduce the number of suicides in our communities.

Legal Profession

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many solicitors in Wales have ceased providing legal services to clients who require legal aid for  (a) family law and  (b) criminal law for each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available by local authority but can be broken down by bid zone (Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, North Wales and South Wales). My noble Friend Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, will write to the hon. Member in the next few days, once this information has been extracted.

Official Visits

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of his visit to the United States in February 2008 was.

Jack Straw: The cost to the Department for the visit to Washington DC, Virginia and New York was 22,819.70 (21,215.10 for travel and 1,358.75 for accommodation).

Open Prisons: Prisoner Escapes

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many failures to return to open prisons there have been since 1997.

Jack Straw: Prisoners fail to return to prison following release on temporary licence. Between 1 April 1997 and 31 January 2008 there were 2,880 breaches of a temporary release licence following release on temporary licence from an open prison. This equates to an average of 266 breaches per year. Not all breaches of a temporary release licence are for failing to return to the prison, but this specific information could be determined only at disproportionate cost by examining each of the 2,880 incidents. Prison Service Order 6300 Release on Temporary Licence was introduced in January 2006.

Perjury

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for  (a) perjury and  (b) attempting to pervert the course of justice were brought in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice in England and Wales in the years 2002 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice, in England and Wales for the years 2002 to 2006( 1,2) 
			   Proceeded against 
			  Offence  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Perjury 109 137 155 138 110 
			 Pervert the cause of justice 2,646 2,396 2,088 1,972 1,804 
			 Total 2,755 2,533 2,243 2,110 1,914 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform - Ministry of Justice

Peterborough Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have absconded from HMP Peterborough in each quarter since 1 April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: HMP Peterborough is a closed establishment. An abscond is defined as an escape from a situation without physical security or restraint (e.g. most areas of an open prison) or from a situation in which there were no staff present specifically assigned to guard a prisoner.
	No absconds have occurred since HMP Peterborough opened in March 2005. In quarter three of 2007-08, a prisoner escaped while being escorted by prison staff at a local hospital. The prisoner was recaptured the following day.

Prisoner Release: Scotland

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released from Scottish prisons have subsequently been deported in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The Border and Immigration Agency will seek to detain foreign national prisoners who are under consideration for deportation, or when deportation action is being pursued. Those who have committed crimes of a serious nature or may be a security threat to the Border and Immigration Agency estate remain in prisons. Others who continue to be detained pending removal are transferred to the Agency's estate.
	The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency advised the Home Affairs Committee during her appearance on 15 January that 4,200 foreign national prisoners were deported or removed from the United Kingdom in 2007. Information specific to those who were held at Scottish prisons can be obtained through the detailed examination of individual case files only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners Transfers: Jamaica

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to lay before Parliament the agreement between the UK and Jamaica on the transfer of Jamaican prisoners; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of repatriating a Jamaican prisoner.

Jack Straw: The United Kingdom and Jamaica signed a limited prisoner transfer agreement on 26 June 2007. This is the first prisoner transfer agreement to be entered into by the Jamaican Government, and changes must be made to Jamaican law before the agreement can enter into force. Once these changes have been made, the agreement will be laid before Parliament in the normal way.
	No assessment of the average cost of repatriating a Jamaican prisoner to Jamaica has been made. However, any cost involved will be offset against savings in prison places and the cost to the prison service of the continued detention of a prisoner in the United Kingdom.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost per night of housing a prisoner is in an  (a) Category A prison and  (b) Category B prison.

David Hanson: Cost Information is published in the Annual Report and Accounts for Public-Sector prisons.
	In 2006-07, the average cost per night of housing a prisoner was 143 in dispersal prisons, which hold Category A prisoners, and 77 in Category B prisons.
	Prison categorisation is based on each prison's main role.

Prisoners: Telephone Tapping

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether authorities have been issued for surveillance of telephone communication between prisoners and lawyers since 2005.

Maria Eagle: Arrangements for the interception of prisoners' communications are set out in the prison rules. In the case of prisoners' communications with solicitors, interception and monitoring would only be authorised when the governor had reasonable cause to believe that the calls would endanger prison security or the safety of others or were otherwise of a criminal nature. HM Prison Service does not retain central records regarding the interception of such communications, and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment has been made of the demographic composition of  (a) the prisoner population and  (b) prison officers.

Jack Straw: The following table gives breakdowns of the prison population in England and Wales by (i) age and gender and (ii) ethnicity and gender.
	
		
			  Prison population in England and Wales at 30 June 2006 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			  73,519 4,463 77,982 
			 15-17 2,370 70 2,440 
			 18-20 7,616 387 8,003 
			 21-24 11,937 686 12,624 
			 25-29 13,973 916 14,889 
			 30-39 20,576 1,384 21,960 
			 40-49 11,135 746 11,881 
			 50-59 4,007 224 4,232 
			 60 and over 1,905 49 1,954 
			 
			  All ethnic groups 73,519 4,463 77,982 
			 White 53,972 3,165 57,137 
			 Mixed 2,108 191 2,299 
			 Asian or Asian British 5,010 107 5,117 
			 Black or Black British 10,922 883 11,805 
			 Chinese or Other ethnic group 873 81 954 
			 Not Stated 288 21 309 
			 Unrecorded 61 0 61 
			 1991 Census ethnic codes 284 15 299 
		
	
	Similar age and gender and gender and ethnicity breakdowns for staff in the public-sector Prison Service are contained in the following tables:
	
		
			  Public sector Prison Service staff by gender and ageas at 31 January 2008 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			 15-17 15 6 21 
			 18-20 350 295 645 
			 21-24 1,546 1,241 2,787 
			 25-29 2,383 2,059 4,442 
			 30-39 4,636 6,755 11,391 
			 40-49 5,745 11,619 17,364 
			 50-59 3,169 8,448 11,617 
			 60 and over 450 2,267 2,717 
			 Total 18,294 32,690 50,984 
		
	
	
		
			  Public sector Prison Service staff by ethnicityas at 31 January 2008 
			  Ethnic group  Number  Percentage of known 
			 Asian 768 1.6 
			 Black 1,367 2.8 
			 Mixed, Asian/White 91 0.2 
			 Mixed, Black/White 187 0.4 
			 Mixed, Other 203 0.4 
			 Other Ethnic Group 354 0.7 
			 All BME 2,970 6.2 
			 White 45,074 93.8 
			 Ethnicity known 48,044  
			 Ethnicity not known 2,940  
			 Overall total 50,984  
		
	
	The following table shows the age breakdown of prison custody officers at eight prison establishments managed by the Director of Offender Management.
	
		
			  Age  Number 
			 18-20 11 
			 21-29 934 
			 30-39 712 
			 40-49 537 
			 50-59 157 
			 60+ 23 
		
	
	There are 1,528 serving male prison custody officers and 846 serving females at these prisons.
	Complete information on the ethnicity of staff at these prisons is not currently available, but a staff audit exercise is currently under way to update their equality monitoring information.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Rape: Convictions

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those charged with rape in each of the last five years in  (a) Teesside and  (b) Stockton were convicted; and how many of those were given (i) an immediate custodial sentence, (ii) a community sentence and (iii) an (A) conditional and (B) absolute discharge.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts and the number sentenced to immediate custody, received community sentences, or were given conditional and absolute discharge, for rape offences in Cleveland police force area can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data are not available at the detailed area level requested.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  N umber of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts and the number of which are sentenced to immediate custody, community sentence, conditional and absolute discharge, for rape offences in Cleveland police force area( 1,2,3,4) 
			 Result 
			   Prosecuted  Found guilty  Immediate custody  Community sentence  Conditional discharge  Absolute discharge 
			 2002 32 11 11 0 0 0 
			 2003 34 9 9 0 0 0 
			 2004 24 10 9 1 0 0 
			 2005 41 8 8 0 0 0 
			 2006 32 16 16 0 0 0 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following statute: The Sexual Offences Act 2003, Sections 1, and 5. (4) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004.  Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice

Shoplifting: Cleveland

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of shoplifting in the Cleveland police force area in each of the last two years.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for the offence of theft (from shop or stall), under the Theft Act 1968 S.l(l) in Cleveland Police Force area for the years 2005 and 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of persons found guilty at all courts for the offence of theft (from shop or stall), under the Theft Act 1968 S.1(1) in Cleveland Police Force area for the years 2005 and 2006( 1,2) 
			   Found guilty 
			  Force  2005  2006 
			 Cleveland 1,123 1,042 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	The number of people given a Penalty Notices for Disorder for the offence of theft (retail under 200) in 2005 is 479. It is 689 in 2006 in Cleveland Police Force area.
	Court proceedings and PND data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

USA

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) date,  (b) location and  (c) purpose was of the meetings that he had while in the United States in February 2008; and who attended each meeting.

Jack Straw: I visited Washington, Virginia and New York in the United States on 12 to 16 February. My visit was primarily to examine the work of a sentencing commission following Lord Carter's review of penal policy in December 2007, which proposed the setting up of a UK sentencing commission.
	In Richmond I met members of the Virginia sentencing commission to assess how it has worked in terms of better balancing supply of prison places within the demands for sentencing.
	I visited the Coffeewood Correctional Centre to examine its work programme. This teaches prisoners skills such as carpentry, welding and optometry to help their chances of finding work when their sentences end.
	In New York I met the Federal District Attorney for the Southern District of New York and his colleagues to discuss mutual legal administration and other shared interests. I visited the Red Hook Community Justice Centre in New York to build on the lessons learned from community justice projects in the US. The centre was the US's first multi-jurisdictional community court and focuses on neighbourhood problems like drugs, crime and domestic violence.
	While in Washington, I met Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court and members of the Judiciary, and Harley Lappin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I had meetings with Senator Leahy, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senator Specter, Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
	I delivered a speech Modernising the Magna Carta: lessons from America, towards a British Bill of Rights at George Washington University Law School on the UK Government's plans to bring forward a green paper on a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
	I paid a call on His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. I had other private meetings.

Wymott Prison: Finance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget for HM Prison Wymott was in the financial year 2007-08; and what its proposed budget is for 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: Prison budgets are allocated in March each year and are currently largely based on historic spend, subject to adjustment for any required efficiency savings and increases to cover inflationary factors. The indicative budget for 2008-09 includes the effect of the reduction in the prison core day and the impact of the transfer of hospital bedwatches and escorts funding to the Department of Health. The budget will be further increased to include the effects of the 2008-09 pay award and other inflationary factors.
	The budget for 2007-08 is 21,887,000 excluding healthcare and education which are directly funded. The indicative budget for 2008-09 is 20,589,000.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on  (a) maintaining,  (b) redecorating,  (c) refurbishing and  (d) otherwise improving 10 Downing Street in each (i) year and (ii) quarter since 1 April 1997.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies) and the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 913-14W, by the then Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron), and the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 July 2002,  Official Report, columns 1368-69W, by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Admiralty House

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  pursuant to the answers of  (a) 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1079W, on Admiralty House and  (b) 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 826W, on Departmental records: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the services provided for the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East whilst the Deputy Prime Minister's Office was an occupying Department included the supply of (i) linen and laundry services, (ii) internal plants, (iii) catering, (iv) telephones, (v) cable or satellite TV and (vi) internet access;
	(2)  whether the Cabinet Office facilities management contract includes cleaning inside official ministerial residences.

Tom Watson: No linen and laundry services, internal plants or cable or satellite services are provided for residents of Admiralty House. Telephone lines are provided which also support internet access. Catering services are available through the Cabinet Office's facilities management contract on a recharge basis. Internal cleaning of the ministerial residences is not included in the fixed-fee element of the facilities management contract.

Departmental Health Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether his Department makes available a medical or health care service to its staff.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office does not offer a medical or health care service as part of its employment package.

Departmental Legal Opinion

David Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 687W, on special adviser legal expenses, what criteria he applies to the disclosure of legal costs in relation to the police investigation into cash for honours for  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers.

Edward Miliband: I have nothing further to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 687W, which made clear that, to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, it would not be appropriate to provide any further breakdown of costs.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by Senior Civil Service staff in  (a) his Department and its agencies and  (b) the Office of the Leader of the House in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many people attended each citizens' jury held in each month since September 2007;
	(2)  which Government Ministers attended each citizens' jury in each month since September 2007;
	(3)  how much the programme of citizens' juries has cost since its establishment;
	(4)  what changes to Government policy have been made as a result of the deliberations of citizens' juries.

Edward Miliband: The information on citizens' juries, including the impact, changes to Government Policy and full costs, is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of each Government Department which commissions citizens' juries.
	In relation to the attendance to the citizens' jury held by the Cabinet Office on the Draft Legislative Programme on 20 October 2007, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1344W, to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) and to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 620W.
	The final costs of this citizens' jury were 56,033 and the outcomes will inform the consultation process for the Draft Legislative Programme in the future.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the policy of British jobs for British workers will affect his Department's recruitment policy.

Tom Watson: The civil service nationality rules, which are statutorily based, govern eligibility for employment in the civil service. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received an  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Tom Watson: Details of how many and what proportion of named day parliamentary questions the Cabinet Office answered between 2003 and 2007 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number due for answer  Percentage answered on the day named 
			 2007 96 66 
			 2006 71 77 
			 2005 58 88 
			 2004 112 60 
			 2003 59 76 
		
	
	Information prior to 2003 is not held. It is standard Cabinet Office practice to issue a holding reply when a substantive answer is not possible on the named day.

Junior Ministers

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what official engagements the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East has undertaken in his capacity as Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office since his appointment; and what his official engagements are in the next calendar month.

Tom Watson: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.

Local Government Services: Voluntary Organisations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the proportion of contracts awarded to third sector organisations that provide public services in Leyton and Wanstead that are three-year contracts; and what change there has been in this proportion over the last five years.

Phil Hope: This information is currently not held centrally.
	The Minister responsible for the Third Sector will be reporting on Government progress in meeting the three-year funding commitment to HM Treasury on an annual basis. The first report will be made in autumn 2008. It is expected that local authorities will be making reports on three-year funding from 2009 onwards.

Ministers: Official Residences

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Chequers was included in official residences under  (a) section 4.2 of the July 2005 Ministerial Code and  (b) section 6.2 of the July 2007 Ministerial Code; which senior ministers were referred to in section 4.2 of the July 2005 Ministerial Code; and which official residences (i) senior ministers are required to live in for the purposes of the job, (ii) senior ministers are not required to live in for the purposes of the job and (iii) are not occupied by senior ministers.

Tom Watson: Official residences are assigned to Ministers by the Prime Minister either on grounds of security or in order to allow them to perform better their official duties. Rules on the use of official residences are set out in the Ministerial Code. Official residences available to Ministers are
	The flats above Numbers 10 and 11 Downing street;
	Flats in Admiralty House;
	1 Carlton Gardens;
	Hillsborough Castle and Stormont are available for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office while on duty in Northern Ireland.
	Chequers, Dorneywood and Chevening, none of which is owned by the Government, are also used by Ministers. The Government House in Pimlico is no longer required and is in the process of being sold.

Ministers: Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the measure of inflation is by which the cost of official ministerial residences for which other departments are billed by the Cabinet Office is adjusted each year.

Tom Watson: Occupying Departments are charged on the basis of actual costs. The elements of the charges which are subject to indexation are those relating to facilities management, which are increased on the basis of the average earnings index and the retail prices index.

Warwick Task Force Group Compact

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  who are the members of the Warwick Task Force Group Compact; what its remit is; and how many times it has met;
	(2)  whether an official group within the Government has been established to take forward the implementation of the Warwick Agreement.

Tom Watson: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The Public Services Forum Task Group was established to take forward the Government's 2005 manifesto commitment to develop a compact with contractors and trade unions to ensure that employees working on Government contracts have access to skills, trade unions and advice should they wish. The group is attended by representatives from relevant departments, trade unions, business and the third sector.
	The group has met six times.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will answer question 178800, tabled on 25 January 2008, on the Iraq draft dossier.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 2025W.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Aimhigher Initiative: Standards

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the performance of the Aimhigher Initiative in encouraging more pupils from deprived backgrounds to submit a UCAS application.

Bill Rammell: The Aimhigher programme is a major initiative designed to widen participation in higher education (HE), and increase opportunities for people from under-represented groups to attend higher education institutions and courses where competition for places is fiercest and which offer the highest financial rates of return.
	There have been various evaluations of the programme which show that it has had a positive impact on participants' attainment and their attitudes towards HE. In the programme's early years (2001 to 2002) when it was known as Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge (AH: EC), before it became a national programme, research showed that being part of AH: EC
	 (a) led to an improvement in the proportion, by 4.6 per cent, of Year 9 pupils attaining levels 4, 5 or 6 in Maths at Key Stage 3;
	 (b) involved improvement in nearly all measures of Year 11's GCSE results, with an average improvement in total points scored of 2.5, which corresponds to an increase of between two and three grades in one GCSE; and
	 (c) AH: EC Year 11 participants were more likely to say that they intended to take part in HE (by 3.9 percentage points).
	Research conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) showed that over 70 per cent. of universities responding to its survey said that Aimhigher added value to their widening participation policies and activities, that Aimhigher has provided a positive and welcome boost to their own efforts to widen participation in HE, and that this has translated into increased applications.
	Given the long-term nature of widening participation in HE, and the complex interplay of factors that affect participation patterns, it is not possible to determine conclusively the effect that Aimhigher has had on applications made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). But we do know that Aimhigher makes a difference, because those who deliver and participate in it tell us so. And they can point at facts that support their casefor example, in the West Midlands over the last five years, the more disadvantaged communities have produced the largest increases in applications and acceptances. Those are the areas where Aimhigher operates most intensively. And we know that in England, since the introduction of Aimhigher, there has been a steady increase in the number and proportion of entrants to HE who come from lower social class backgrounds. This is reflected in the most recent UCAS application data for 2008 entry. In England, the proportion of applicants at age 18 coming from lower social class backgrounds is up from 28.2 per cent. in 2007 to 28.9 per cent. this year.
	Widening participation requires long-term address and we have announced the continuation of Aimhigher until 2011. We will continue to work with HEFCE to commission a national study to report before the end of 2011 on outcomes across the whole programme since 2004, when the unified, national Aimhigher was introduced. And at local level, Aimhigher Partnerships will determine the extent to which the Aimhigher programme has raised HE awareness, aspirations and attainment among participants and in participating institutions.

Apprentices: Olympic Games 2012

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprentices are working on London 2012 projects.

David Lammy: World-class Apprenticeships announced the formation of a London Task Force, which I will chair, to overcome barriers to the growth of apprenticeships in London. The review also said that the Government would be strongly encouraging the companies with which they contract, including those involved in large strategic projects such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to employ apprentices on these projects.
	There are, at present, 62 apprentices on-site at the Olympic Park. The Olympic Development Authority (ODA) is committed to get at least 2,000 people in apprenticeships and work placements (up to 2012) at the Olympic Park and other venues that the ODA is working on or building.
	There are a number of projects funded by the London Region Learning and Skills Council that are supporting apprenticeships in areas that will contribute to the success of the Olympics:
	188 new Sport and Leisure Apprenticeships (Levels 2 and 3) in coaching, teaching and instruction, activity leadership and fitness for able bodied and disabled learners.
	50 Advanced Apprenticeships in Sporting Excellence, in sports including athletics, swimming and tennis, to prepare elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes for competition in the 2012 Games.
	A construction Apprenticeship preparation programme at Kings Cross enabling 100 16 to 18-year-olds to progress into employment with Carillion.
	200 new customer service/hospitality Apprenticeships (Levels 2 and 3)this is informed by Skills for Business research (2007), which predicts 12,000 new customer service jobs by 2012, including hotel, conference, restaurant and catering managers.
	The new National Apprenticeship Service, particularly the new matching service, will have a key focus on the 2012 Olympics. We expect that apprenticeship opportunities linked to the Olympics will increase as time progresses.

Apprentices: Standards

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of those providing apprenticeship training courses have had their contracts terminated as a result of poor performance since 2001.

David Lammy: The practice of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is to contract for apprenticeship places on an annual basis. In the case of a poorly performing contractor, the LSC works in-year to seek to raise performance, which includes agreeing specific improvement actions, rather than moving immediately to terminate a whole contract or the part of the contract that is considered substandard. To do otherwise could put at risk the opportunities of the apprentices concerned. Past performance is a key criterion in the allocation of annual contracts, and the trend over successive years has been for fewer companies to receive LSC contracts for apprenticeship places. Some of this pattern can be accounted for by mergers or acquisitions in the supplier market, but these can be linked to performance issues.
	Data setting out the number of companies with which the LSC contracted in each of the years 2001/02 onwards is in the table. It should be noted that one company may hold more than one contract because the LSC contracts by apprenticeship framework.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001/02 1,761 
			 2002/03 1,084 
			 2003/04 1,005 
			 2004/05 973 
			 2005/06 917

Astronomy Centre

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure the future of the Institute for Astronomy on the Blackford Hill site in Edinburgh;
	(2)  what the proposed change in Science and Technology Facilities Council for funding the Astronomy Technology Centre (ATC), Edinburgh is in  (a) percentage and  (b) cash terms; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of that change on the ATC's work;
	(3)  what staff changes are being considered by the Science and Technology Facilities Council for  (a) Daresbury,  (b) the Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh and  (c) the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

Ian Pearson: The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), which is owned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), is a world leader in the design and construction of instruments for many of the world's major telescopes. However, the STFC's demand for its services has declined since the UK joined the European Southern Observatory in 2002.
	The STFC is looking at the future of the Astronomy Technology Centre in relation to the potential demand for its services and the council's science budget allocation. The STFC is exploring the possibility of a partnership that makes use of the unique skills in the ATC and applies them to a wider portfolio, and it will seek to work with the local universities and local funding agencies in taking that forward. It is too early to say what the outcome of these discussions will be.
	STFC issued a notice on 2 January calling for voluntary redundancies across all its activities. In line with previous announcements, the SRS (Synchrotron Radiation Source) at Daresbury will close on 31 December 2008, but the STFC has not taken a decision on whether any compulsory redundancies (other than those relating to SRS) will be needed.

Catering

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent on refreshments for meetings since its establishment; and at what cost per meeting.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Information on refreshments is not held centrally and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council of Ministers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what A List items were agreed to by his Department in the EU Council of Ministers in 2007.

David Lammy: Ministers from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, and from the former Department for Education and Skills, together with Ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, agreed the following A items at EU Council meetings.
	 Education, Youth and Culture Council 15-16 November 2007:
	1. Management Board of the European Chemicals AgencyReplacement of one member 14265/07 COMPET 297 ENV 549 CHIMIE 33 13731/07 COMPET 278 ENV 509 CHIMIE 27 + COR 1
	2. Adoption of a Council Regulation adapting Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania 13366/07 COMPET 268 ENV 484 CHIMIE 25 MI 226 ENT 116+ COR 1 (fi) 14036/07 COMPET 287 ENV 524 CHIMIE 29 MI 242 ENT 128
	3. Amended proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the provisional application of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Madagascar on fishing off the coast of Madagascar for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012Adoption 14387/07 PECHE 309 13153/1/07 PECHE 271 REV 1 + REV 1 COR 1 (bg) + REV 2 (lv)
	4. Amended proposal for a Council Regulation on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of MadagascarAdoption 14388/07 PECHE 310 13154/07 PECHE 272
	5. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC with regard to improving the effectiveness of review procedures concerning the award of public contractsAdoption of the legislative act PE-CONS 3634/07 MAP 20 CODEC 713 + COR 1 (sv)+ REV 1 (hu)+ REV 2 (fr)+ REV 4 (el)14241/07 CODEC 1117 MAP 22 + ADD 1 + ADD 1 COR 1 (fr)
	 Education, Youth and Culture Council 24 May 2007:
	1. Governing Board of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)  (a) Appointment of Ms Valentina DEIKOVA (BG), Mr. Enrico Eugenio CECCOTTI (IT), Ms Madlen SERBAN (RO) and Mr. Piotr BARTOSIAK (PL), members in the category of Government representatives  (b) Appointment of Ms Galia BOZHANOVA (BG), Ms llona KIUKUCANE (LV) and Mr. Ion HOHAN (RO), members in the category of representatives of Employers' organisations  (c) Appointment of Mr. Jef MAES (BE), Ms Svetla TONEVA (BG), Ms Ilze TRAPENCIERE (LV), Mr. Gheorghe SIMION (RO) and Mr. Zygmunt CYBULSKI (PL), members in the category of representatives of Employees' organisations 9336/07 EDUC 89 SOC 188
	2. Adoption of a Council Decision establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Community with regards to certain proposals submitted to the 14(th )meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (The Hague, Netherlands, 3-15 June 2007) 9198/07 ENV 230 WTO 107 + COR 1 (et) + ADD 1
	3. European Economic and Social CommitteeAppointment of two Dutch members (Mr. Meijer and Ms Van Wezel) 8629/07 JUR 160 CES 13 9309/1/07 REV 1 CES 16
	4. Committee of the RegionsAppointment of an alternate member (BE) 8794/07 CDR 43 JUR 165 8795/07 CDR 44 + COR 1
	5. Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of Agreements in the form of agreed minutes on the modification of concessions with respect to poultry meat between the European Community and the Federal Republic of Brazil, and between the European Community and the Kingdom of Thailand pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994)
	Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the implementation of Agreements concluded by the EC following negotiations in the framework of Article XXVIII of GATT 1994, amending and supplementing Annex I to Regulation (ECC) n(o) 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff 8486/1/07 REV 1 WTO 74 AGRI 115 8488/07 WTO 75 AGRI 116 + COR 1 + REV 1 (ro) 9280/07 WTO 110 AGRI 140 + REV 1 (ro)
	6. Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union Request by the Council for the assent of the European Parliament 9703/07 AL 13 8937/07 AL 9 7812//07 AL 5 + REV 1 (en) + REV 2 (sl)
	7. Relations with Lebanon
	(a) Draft Council Decision on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 75 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part 8911/07 RL 9 8906/07 RL 8 UE-RL 3004/07
	(b) Draft Council Decision on a Community position within the Association Council on the implementation of Article 80 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part 8280/07 RL 6 + REV 1 (fi) 8277/07 RL 5 UE-RL 3001/07
	8. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance informationAdoption of the legislative act PE-CONS 3602/07 ENT 9 ENV 43 CODEC 65 + COR 1 + REV 1 (ga)+ REV 1 COR 1 (ga) + REV 2 9156/07 CODEC 447 ENT 50 ENV 227 + ADD 1 + ADD 1 COR 1
	9. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on the structure and activity of foreign affiliates (LA) (First reading) - Adoption of the legislative act PE-CONS 3603/07 STATIS 12 COMPET 43 CODEC 101 + COR 1 + COR 2 + REV 1 (It) 9186/07 CODEC 451 STATIS 59 COMPET 130
	10. Third railway package (Third reading)
	(a) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the Community's railways
	(b) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the certification of train crews operating locomotives and trains on the Community's rail network
	(c) Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on International Rail Passengers1 Rights and ObligationsNon-approval of the European Parliament's amendments 9417/07 CODEC 491 TRANS 150 9418/07 CODEC 492 TRANS 151 9419/07 CODEC 493 TRANS 152
	 Education, Youth and Culture Council 16 February 2007:
	1. Governing Board of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (a) Appointment of Mr Ole BONDO CHRISTENSEN, to replace Mr. Jonas BERING LIISBERG, Danish full Member, who has resigned; (b) Appointment of Mr. Valerio SPEZIALE, to replace Mr Paolo REBOANI, Italian full Member, who has resigned; (c) Appointment of Mr.. Lorenzo FANTINI, to replace Ms Francesca PELAIA, Italian alternate Member, who has resigned; (d) Appointment of Mr. Orestis MESSIOS, to replace Mme Lenia SAMUEL, Cypriot full Member; who has resigned:(e) Appointment of Ms Yiota KAMBOURIDOU, to replace Mr. Charalambos KOLOKOTRONIS, Cypriot alternate Member; who has resigned. 6126/07 SOC 53
	2. Adoption of a Council decision appointing members of the European Social Fund Committee 5662/07 SOC 29 + ADD 1 16601/06 SOC 605
	3. Adoption of a Council Regulation amending Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC (LA) 5257/07 ENV 19 ENT 4 + COR 1 (en) + COR 2 (cs) + REV 1 (fi) + REV 2 (hu) 6026/07 ENV 75 ENT 16

Delivery Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services.

David Lammy: Mail services for the Department are provided by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform uses the following companies and organisations for mail services:
	Royal Mail
	Parcel Force
	Lewis Day
	Government Mail
	Pitney Bowes
	FCO
	DHL
	The Department for Children Schools and Families uses the following companies and organisations for mail services:
	Royal Mail
	Parcel Force
	Copley Couriers
	Central Dispatch Couriers and
	'Same Day'

Departmental Electricity

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the electricity bill for his Department was in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The buildings occupied by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, since its creation in June 2007, are administered on our behalf by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. This also goes for the related facilities management arrangements and utilities contracts. The exact split of utilities bills has not yet been carried out.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what changes have been made to his Department's budget for training and skills since the publication of the comprehensive spending review conclusions on 9 October.

David Lammy: Overall investment in further education (FE) and skills will rise to 5.3 billion by 2010-11, an increase of 7 per cent. in real terms compared with 2007-08. This will enable real progress to be made against the Leitch ambitions for world-class skills, equipping adults with the skills they need for sustainable employment and progression. No changes have been made to the budget for FE and skills since the publication of the comprehensive spending review conclusions.

Departmental Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what training courses are available to departmental staff via his Department's learning and development unit.

David Lammy: We refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1656W (PQ 180354).

Education: Bullingdon Prison

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the budget is for HM Prison Bullingdon in the 2007-08 financial year for English language teaching; and what the budget was in 2006-07.

David Lammy: There was no specific budget allocated for English language teaching at HM Prison Bullingdon in either the 2006-07 or 2007-08 financial year. The resources for learning and skills provision in individual prisons are not allocated on the basis of particular courses or learning interventions. An overall budget is set, from which provision will be delivered on the basis of the assessed needs of individual learners.

Educational Institutions: Nutrition

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his policy is on healthy eating in establishments within the responsibilities of his Department, with particular reference to undergraduate students; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Promoting healthy lifestyles for people in England and Wales is an important governmental responsibility. The Department of Health is responsible for helping the public to make healthier and more informed lifestyle choices generally, and for promoting healthy eating for all young people and adults as outlined in the recent joint strategy paper Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives. The Food Standards Agency also produces guidance on healthy eating specifically aimed at students. Higher and further education institutions are self-governing independent bodies and take account of national guidance and local circumstances in developing their own policies.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress his Department has made on the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto published in November 2006.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 February 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	There are nearly 900 signatories to the Manifesto vision and aims. They are represented by a National Advisory Group comprising eight sector partnerships (natural environment, farming and countryside, outdoor adventure, places of worship, creativity and arts, heritage, built environment, school grounds and early years), school work forces, local authorities, parents, governors and young people.
	The National Advisory Group has agreed an Action Plan to tackle the barriers to learning outside the classroom identified during consultation. With our partners, we are promoting the benefits to a wide audience; producing 'How to' guidance, teacher resources and training modules; creating an umbrella quality badge for providers; and setting up an independent council to take forward the Manifesto objectives.

Older Workers: Industrial Training

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what  (a) grants and  (b) training schemes are available through his Department for people (i) over 55 years old and (ii) in retirement to learn new job skills.

David Lammy: All adults aged 19 plus, who are not in receipt of out of work benefits, can access the Adult Learning Grant (ALG), which pays up to 30 per week in term time to help with learning costs to study for a first full Level 2 or first full Level 3 qualification.
	Our World Class Skills reforms will support individuals, including older people into sustainable employment and progression in work and in skills. We will give greater ownership and choice to individuals over their training through skills accounts backed up by a new universal adult careers service promoting personal advancement.
	Similarly we are working with employers through Train to Gain and the Skills Pledge to meet skill needs and to ensure that all employees including older people have the basic skills, including literacy and numeracy and Level 2 skills (equivalent to five good GCSEs) needed to sustain and progress in employment. We are increasing funding for Train to Gain from 440 million in 2007-08 to over 900 million in 2010-11.
	We are also investing some 1.5 billion in each of the next three years in learning below level 2 and progression learning, to help the low-skilled and those not in employment to improve their skills and secure sustainable employment.

Quality Improvement Agency: Standards

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills by what mechanism improvements are monitored and measured in the work of the Quality Improvement Agency.

David Lammy: There are three principal elements against which QIA progress is measured and monitored:
	the success of QIA's own programmes and services
	the implementation of the National Improvement Strategy
	the overall effectiveness of QIA.
	These three elements are inter-related and are measured and reported on separately as:
	programme level indicators
	the Improvement Strategy Balanced Scorecard
	Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for QIA.
	Table 1 following shows the relationships between the three elements and how they are monitored.
	
		
			  Table 1: the three evaluation strands and their content 
			  Strand of evaluation  Content 
			 Programme level indicators Information on reach, impact and satisfaction from individual support programmes and services and their evaluations 
			   
			 Improvement strategy balanced scorecard A summation of programme level indicators 
			  Indicators for the work of QIA's partners in the improvement strategy 
			  Assessments of contributions to global success measures 
			  Indicators of effective partnership working 
			   
			 KPIs for QIA Reach into the sector 
			  Contribution to success rates and reducing unsatisfactory provision 
			  Overall effectiveness of QIA programmes 
			  Satisfaction with QIA services 
			  Co-ordination and monitoring of the IS 
			  Organisational effectiveness 
		
	
	QIA has agreed with DIUS an evaluation framework based on four main headings which is otherwise known as the RISE framework:
	1. Extent of 'reach' or engagement with the sector ('Reach')
	2. Impact of the programme/activity ('Impact')
	3. Satisfaction/Awareness with QIA's programmes and services ('Satisfaction/Awareness')
	4. Organisational effectiveness ('Effectiveness')
	The programme level indicators, the Improvement Strategy balanced scorecard and the KPIs for QIA are all mapped to the RISE framework.
	QIA commenced using the RISE framework for its programmes from 1 April 2007, and commissioned a 'Summative Evaluation' to bring together the evidence gathered at that time from the evaluations of individual programmes and activities, data generated by the external contractors delivering these programmes and activities, and various other sources.
	Further information on QIA progress and achievements is available on the QIA website via this link:
	http://www.qia.org.uk/annualreview/assets/QIA_Summative_Evaluation.pdf

Students: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how his Department encourages students entitled to bursaries to apply for them; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The great majority of those entitled to bursaries in 2006/07 either applied to their university for funding, or were the subject of an automatic notification of eligibility from the Student Loans Company to their university because they had given consent to the sharing of financial data.
	Many universities have worked hard to maximise take-up of bursaries. In some cases not enough has been done, and the Director of Fair Access, Martin Harris, has written to universities where this is so. We support this initiative. In addition, at our request the Student Loans Company is providing clearer information to applicants for student loans about the benefits of giving consent to share financial data with universities, although consent to share rightly remains a matter of individual choice.
	DIUS raises awareness of all elements of the higher education student finance package including bursaries via literature, web and campaign material.
	Additionally, the Department established a bursary map
	www.direct.gov.uk/bursarymap
	to help individuals link to higher education institutions in England to find out what financial help those institutions are offering and how they should apply.

Students: Loans

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the merits of using the  (a) retail prices index,  (b) consumer prices index and  (c) retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments to calculate interest on student loans.

Bill Rammell: The Department keeps the interest rate of student loans under review but has no plans to deviate from the retail prices index (RPI) which reflects price movements across the whole economy. The RPI has been used since the introduction of student loans and ensures that borrowers repay the same, in real terms, as the amount borrowed.
	Interest rates on loans are already generously subsidised in a way which is fair both to borrowers and to the taxpayer.

Taxis

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent on taxis since establishment.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Information on this type of travel expenditure is not collected centrally in the Department. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Unemployment: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds in the Cleethorpes constituency were registered as unemployed in the last five years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 1 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of 16-19 year olds in Cleethorpes constituency were registered as unemployed in the last five years for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (172520)
	ONS compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 1, attached, shows the number of people, aged 16-19 resident in the Cleethorpes constituency, claiming JSA in January from 2004 to 2008. Population estimates used to calculate claimant count proportions are not available for parliamentary constituencies for this particular age group.
	
		
			  Table 1: 16-19 registered unemployed, resident in Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency for the last five years 
			  12 months ending  Level( 1) 
			 January 2004 200 
			 January 2005 210 
			 January 2006 230 
			 January 2007 235 
			 January 2008 190 
			 (1) Data rounded to nearest 5.

Vocational Training: Payments

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which learning and skills councils owed money to training providers beyond 30 days of due payment under the Train to Gain initiative in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Train to Gain programme had a total grant letter budget in excess of 460 million in 2007-08.
	At 31 December 2007 the Learning and Skills Council owed 11 Train to Gain providers a total of 114,699 for more than 30 days.
	The seven Learning and Skills Councils and the amounts owed are shown as follows.
	
		
			  LSC   
			 East of England 38,133 
			 East Midlands 4,613 
			 Greater London 6,720 
			 North East 53,400 
			 North West 7,566 
			 South West 3,300 
			 West Midlands 967 
			 Total 114,699 
			  Source: LSC

Wolverhampton University: Grants

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will hold discussions with the management of Wolverhampton University on the impact of proposed changes to equivalent learning qualification funding.

Bill Rammell: No students currently studying equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs) will be affected by these changes. In future, our policy of redistributing grant will widen participation and mean that more of the millions of people of working age, of whom there are many in the West Midlands, who do not have a first higher-level qualification, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, will be able to benefit from participating in Higher education. Wolverhampton University is well-placed to attract and retain more first-time entrants to Higher Education, which is our top priority. However, all we have asked HEFCE to do is redistribute about 100 million by 2010. Wolverhampton's share of this sum will be less than 1 million, which is less than 1 per cent. of its overall annual income.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many personal bankruptcies have been declared in each London court since 2000.

Patrick McFadden: Table 1 records the number of individual bankruptcy orders that have been declared in each London court from 2000 to 2006. The High Court is the only court located in London with Insolvency Jurisdiction.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of individual bankruptcy orders made in the High Court, 2000 - 06 
			   High Court  London OR 
			 2000 1,403 1,285 
			 2001 1,525 1,427 
			 2002 1,638 1,457 
			 2003 2,046 1,933 
			 2004 3,137 3,038 
			 2005 4,127 3,888 
			 2006 4,896 4,410 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 2007 are not yet available on the same basis as those for earlier years. 2. Cases heard by the High Court are not restricted to those individuals resident or trading in the London area; they may include cases from across the country, most notably, where the petitioner is HMRC. 3. New case figures for the London official receivers region are also given for comparative purposes. These include cases assigned to the public interest unit (PIU). They do not, however, include cases dealt with by Croydon official receiver, although the London region officially has included Croydon OR from 2004-05. 4. After a bankruptcy order has been made, it is possible that the case may subsequently be assigned to a different court, for various reasons. The High Court figures for the entire period 2000 to 2006 reflect the court details recorded on the database mid-2007 and will, therefore, be subject to movements in both directions since the order date as far as High Court figures are concerned. 5. Individuals may also be assigned to a different official receivers office as the case progresses, perhaps because the bankrupt has moved or cases are re-allocated. The London official receivers' figures shown under table 1 record the office assigned at the time the order was made.

Broadband: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which villages in the Easington constituency do not have 100 per cent. broadband coverage; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which Minister and departmental division in his Department are responsible for corporate social responsibility.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 February 2008
	I am responsible for corporate responsibility at DBERR. The Sustainable Development and Regulation Directorate, within the Enterprise and Business Group, leads on this area for BERR.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget was for promoting corporate social responsibility  (a) internally at his Department and  (b) externally by his Department to British companies in each of the last five calendar years.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 February 2008
	DBERR leads on corporate responsibility but is supported in that work by many other Departments.
	Within DBERR much of our, and formerly the DTI's, work encompasses aspects of the corporate responsibility agenda, for example the national contact point and training for business on UK law on bribery and corruption provided by UK Trade and Investment (a joint DBERR/FCO organisation).
	Only the work carried out by the sustainable development and regulation branch of DBERR is formally attributed a corporate responsibility budget. Budgets are not segregated according to whether expenditure is internal or external and information is only available for financial years, not calendar years.
	For each of the years 2003-04 to 2006-07 the corporate responsibility expenditure was around 300,000. This expenditure included set-up costs for the CSR Academy, now transferred to Business in the Community (BITC), and a cross-Government corporate responsibility web site. To date in 2007-08 expenditure on corporate responsibility is 130,000.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many full-time equivalent staff work on corporate social responsibility in his Department.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 February 2008
	BERR leads on corporate responsibility within Government but is supported in that work by many other Departments.
	Within DBERR, much of our, and formerly the DTI's, work encompasses aspects of the corporate responsibility agenda, for example the national contact point and training for business on UK law on bribery and corruption provided by UKTI (a joint DBERR/FCO organisation).
	It is not possible to give figures for staff working on the corporate responsibility agenda across BERR, but 8.5 staff work within its dedicated sustainable development and corporate responsibility section.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made on the Government's proposals for corporate social responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: DBERR leads on corporate responsibility (CR) but is supported in that work by many other Departments. Our policy is, via voluntary means, to raise performance above minimum legal standards and encourage companies to look at a wider range of stakeholder interests.
	We have created a policy framework which encourages and enables responsible behaviour by business and helps to ensure that we have decent minimum levels of performance in areas such as health and safety, the environment and equal opportunities.
	Progress includes improvements in the running of the UK national contact point; the creation of the new DFID-DBERR Trade Policy Unit which brings together trade and development experts to ensure UK competitiveness and market access, work for better trade deals for poorer countries and better support for those wishing to trade themselves out of poverty; the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill, which will give added protection to the consumer; the new provisions of the Companies Act 2006, which are designed to bring greater shareholder engagement and transparency; and the current development of an International Standard on Corporate Social Responsibility (ISO 26000).
	Among various international activities the Government champion the extractives industry transparency initiative to encourage greater transparency of oil, gas and mining revenues in developing countries and supports the work of John Ruggie, appointed as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on human rights and transnational corporations.
	Departmental progress on CR-related matters is available through press notices and websites. Links to these can be found at the dedicated CR Government website:
	www.csr.gov.uk

Coal-Fired Power Stations

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his estimate is of the number of coal-fired power plants required to meet the UK's electricity needs.

Malcolm Wicks: This is a matter for electricity- generating companies, as the Government do not determine the fuel mix of the UK's generating fleet. Generators have every incentive to ensure that the UK's need for secure supplies of low carbon electricity are met in the most cost-effective and efficient way, taking into account factors such as the carbon intensity, energy conversion efficiency, fuel availability and cost, generating flexibility, supply chain constraints and lead times of the various possible energy generating technologies. The Government do, however, monitor the supply-demand balance in the UK's energy markets through its annual energy markets outlook.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what definition of the term capture ready he uses; and what criteria are used to determine whether a proposed power plant is capture ready with regard to carbon capture and storage.

Malcolm Wicks: There is as yet no agreed definition of capture ready either in the UK or internationally.
	Ministers committed themselves in the Energy White Paper last year (s.5.4.27) to consulting on both the principle of carbon capture readiness and its definition. We expect to issue the consultation document shortly. We will also seek views on the draft EU directive on carbon storage (including its proposed definition of what constitutes carbon capture readiness) published a few weeks ago.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will hold a consultation on a suitable definition for the phrase carbon capture and storage ready as it applies to coal-fired power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: In our Energy White Paper last May, the Government committed themselves to doing exactly this in respect of all fossil-fuelled power stations, not solely coal-fired ones. We expect to issue our consultation, which will also take into account the draft EU directive on carbon storage, later in the spring.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  whether his Department has sought advice from the Department for Communities and Local Government on the application of criteria for calling in planning applications and referring such applications to a planning inspector to the application for consent for a coal fired power station at Kingsnorth, Kent;
	(2)  what criteria he plans to use in deciding whether to call a public inquiry before determining the application for a coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth, Kent;
	(3)  what response he has made to representations by Medway Council in connection with the proposed Kingsnorth power station on  (a) a public inquiry,  (b) combined heat and power capacity at the plant and  (c) available land for future carbon capture and storage facility.

Malcolm Wicks: My Department is aware of the criteria used for calling in planning applications. However, the Kingsnorth application falls to be determined not under the normal planning regime, but under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, and as such it is for the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to decide whether to use his discretion to call for a public inquiry in view of the representations he has received.
	There are no criteria laid down for calling a discretionary inquiry.
	We will address all the decision on Medway council's representations in any decision that is taken, including whether or not to hold a public inquiry.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ask E.ON UK to provide a technical assessment of the feasibility and likely costs of retrofitting its proposed Kingsnorth coal-fired power station with carbon capture technology and of the availability of suitable storage sites and suitable transport sites.

Malcolm Wicks: In deciding whether to approve E.ON's planning application for Kingsnorth power station under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 Ministers will be considering a range of possible conditions, including whetherand if so in what termsthere should be readiness for future carbon capture.

Coal-Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the effect of likely changes in sea-levels over the next 30 years on the proposed new coal power station at Kingsnorth, if built;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of measures to manage the effect on the proposed Kingsnorth power station, if built, of likely changes in sea-levels over the next  (a) 30 and  (b) 40 years;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the carbon cost of the expected volume of emissions from the proposed Kingsnorth power station, if built, between  (a) 2012 and 2020 and  (b) 2021 and 2050 based on the Government's shadow cost of carbon.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has made no such assessment or estimates.

Companies House WebCHeck Website

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the opening times of the Companies House WebCHeck website.

Gareth Thomas: Companies House's WebCHeck service is available from Monday to Saturday 7 am to 12 midnight UK Time. It is planning to increase availability to include Sundays by December 2008.

Companies House WebCHeck Website

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many times Companies House's WebCHeck website has experienced technical difficulties in each month of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: A table detailing the number of technical difficulties each month in the last three years experienced by Companies House's WebCHeck follows.
	
		
			   Number of incidents 
			 February 2005 4 
			 March 2005 3 
			 April 2005 3 
			 May 2005 4 
			 June 2005 2 
			 July 2005 0 
			 August 2005 7 
			 September 2005 3 
			 October 2005 3 
			 November 2005 7 
			 December 2005 3 
			 January 2006 4 
			 February 2006 1 
			 March 2006 8 
			 April 2006 2 
			 May 2006 7 
			 June 2006 6 
			 July 2006 3 
			 August 2006 2 
			 September 2006 1 
			 October 2006 6 
			 November 2006 5 
			 December 2006 0 
			 January 2007 1 
			 February 2007 10 
			 March 2007 2 
			 April 2007 2 
			 May 2007 0 
			 June 2007 1 
			 July 2007 1 
			 August 2007 4 
			 September 2007 2 
			 October 2007 4 
			 November 2007 2 
			 December 2007 7 
			 January 2008 5 
			 February 2008 2

Defence Export Services Organisation

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many former Defence Export Services Organisation personnel are  (a) seconded and  (b) due to be seconded to his Department.

Gareth Thomas: There are currently around 83 staff on loan to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform from other Departments (loan being the term used to refer to secondment within the civil service). Information is not available on how many have previously worked in DESO.
	Details of the number of staff to be transferred from the Ministry of Defence on 1 April as a consequence of the transfer of responsibility for defence export support will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Departmental Retirement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department retired on grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: No staff have retired from the Department on the grounds of stress-related illness within the last three years.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The percentage of working days lost by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly the Department of Trade and Industry), including UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Office of Manpower Economics (OME), attributed to stress-related conditions for the period January 2007 to December 2007 is 15 per cent. (2,367 days lost due to stress-related conditions out of a total of 15,676 sick days over the same period).
	Stress-related conditions include the following: anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

Departmental Telephone Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) 0800,  (b) 0845 and  (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are used by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to his Department.

Gareth Thomas: From the central records available, the 08 telephone services administered by the Department for public use are as follows:
	
		
			   Department/Agency 
			  (a) 0800 number  
			 0800 373 317 Construction Market Intelligence 
			   
			  (b) 0845 numbers  
			 0845 015 0010 BERR Publications Order line 
			 0845 015 0020 BERR Publications Order line (Fax) 
			 0845 015 0030 BERR Publications Order line (Minicom) 
			 0845 019 0001 Personnel Training Services Consortium 
			 0845 600 0678 National Minimum Wage 
			 0845 600 9006 Business Link Helpline 
			 0845 9555105 Employment Agency Standards 
			   
			  (c) 0870 numbers  
			 0870 513 4486 Queens Award Office 
		
	
	The agencies which report to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have been asked to provide separate written responses.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Gareth Thomas: In accordance with the Department's Race Equality Scheme 2007-08, available at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/about/strategyobjectives/howwework/equalityschemes/page35704.html
	BERR documents may be made available in languages for people in the UK who do not speak English to support appropriate access to information, at the Department's discretion and subject to demand. Examples of documents published or planned in other languages include employee rights information and leaflets on the digital television switchover.
	A listing of BERR's currently available publications can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/publications
	Information on translation of documents by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is held by the bodies themselves. It is not held centrally. I am asking agency chief executives to write direct to the hon. Member, and am arranging for a copy of the list of non-departmental public bodies to be placed in the Library of the House for the use of the hon. Member.

Devolution: Carbon Emissions

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to co-ordinate action on carbon emissions reduction.

Malcolm Wicks: DBERR worked with the devolved Administrations over the development of the 2007 Energy White Paper, which sets out the UK Government's energy strategy. The role of the devolved Administrations in energy policy is set out in chapter 9 of that document. DBERR actively engages with the devolved Administrations on issues on which they have specific responsibilities or interests. In the last year, these have included discussions on the EU's integrated climate change and energy policy, renewables, including the renewables obligation offshore wind policy and the offshore energy strategic environmental assessment, electricity grid issues, carbon capture and storage, the feasibility study for power generation in the Severn estuary (with the Welsh Assembly Government), the Heat Call for Evidence, the establishment of the Environmental Transformation Fund, and of course on the Energy Bill. Moreover, DBERR contributes to the work of bodies such as the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust which are charged with reducing emissions across the UK.

EC Action: Origin Marking

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the European Union has plans for a directive on origin marking.

Gareth Thomas: The European Commission has put forward a proposal for a council regulation for the compulsory indication of the country of origin of certain products imported into the EU from third countries. This proposal has been subject to detailed technical level analysis and has yet to be formally adopted for negotiation.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether a national database of e-consultations across Government has been established.

Gareth Thomas: The Business Link website provides details of, and links to, consultations of particular interest to small businesses; Directgov provides information about, and links to, consultations of broad interest to citizens; and www.info41ocal.gov.uk provides information about, and links to, consultations of particular interest to local authorities, although registered users represent all sectors. Departmental websites also routinely list all ongoing consultations.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the operation of e-consultation across Government to date; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Online consultation is one channel through which the Government consult during policy development. The Government have recently carried out a review of Government consultation policy, asking those who regularly participate in Government consultation exercises how consultation could be improved. One message from this review is that the Government should design consultation exercises to be accessible, which means making better use of the full range of channels, including electronic channels.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding his Department provides for e-consultations across Government.

Gareth Thomas: Consultation exercises, electronic or otherwise, are usually financed from the budget line for the policy area rather than from any central resource within Departments or across Government.

Energy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to the future use of alternative, non-renewable energy sources; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) industry representatives on the future use of alternative, non-renewable energy sources;
	(3)  whether any grants from the public purse in support of work on alternative energy sources are also available to non-renewable energy sources.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK needs a diverse mix of low-carbon energy sources to contribute to our energy and climate change goals. The Energy White Paper set out the Government's policy to tackling our key challenges and the guiding principle of market access to all the options available so we can have a diverse and increasingly low carbon energy mix, enabling us to respond to the rapidly changing challenges we will face in the future.
	The challenge of moving towards a lower carbon economy requires us to develop a portfolio of low carbon energy technologies such as carbon abatement technologies, including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and fuel cells, nuclear power and renewables. On 19 November 2007, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Government competition for a full- scale demonstration of carbon capture and storage technologies on a coal-fired power plant and on 10 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State invited companies to present proposals to build new nuclear power stations.
	Public-sector funding for low carbon technology innovation is being delivered through the Research Councils, the Technology Strategy Board, the Energy Technologies Institute and from April the Environmental Transformation Fund. These bodies work closely together to ensure that funding activities are complementary and together effectively support a portfolio of technologies, including alternatives such as hydrogen and nuclear power.
	BERR engages with external stakeholders such as the Energy Research Partnership (ERP), the Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies (ACCAT), the Renewables Advisory Board (RAB), and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE) which include scientific and industry representatives, on the delivery of these activities. The Secretary of State, in the course of his official engagements, regularly meets representatives from energy companies as well as other stakeholders.

Energy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to  (a) encourage the development of wind farms and other renewable energy plants and  (b) assist energy companies to reduce electricity losses arising from transmission to population centres.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Renewables Obligation (RO) is the Government's main mechanism for supporting renewable generation. We believe that it is for the market to bring forward projects which, with support from the RO, are financially viable.
	Since the RO was introduced in 2002 we have seen renewable generation more than double from 1.8 per cent. in 2002 to 4.4 per cent. in 2006. Year on year we are seeing increasing amounts of capacity coming through. The first gigawatt of wind took around 14 years to become operational; the second only 20 months.
	The May 2007 Energy White Paper contains proposals to band the RO to better match the level of support provided to the costs of various technologies. This will bring on a more diverse range of renewable technologies. A Government response to consultation on reform of the RO was published alongside the Energy Bill on 10 January and this is currently before the House. We are aiming to implement these changes through secondary legislation in April 2009.
	On 10 December 2007 the Secretary of State announced the launch of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on a draft plan for up to 25 gigawatts of new offshore wind development rights in UK waters.
	We also published a Scoping Report on 10 December for our draft plan for offshore energy. This is the first formal step in the consultation process. Following our consultation on this scoping stage, we will undertake a full assessment this year of our Plan for Offshore development. Following the results of the SEA, the Secretary of State expects to make decisions on whether to proceed with our plan in early 2009.
	We are aware that there are barriers to the deployment of renewables in the UKsuch as planning, grid and aviation/radar issuesand we are taking steps to address these. This includes taking the Planning Bill through Parliament in order to reform the planning system for renewables. We are also working with Ofgem, national grid, the Ministry of Defence and others to reduce other barriers to renewables deployment.
	Later this year the Government will launch a consultation on what more we should do to increase renewable energy use in the UK to meet our share of the EU 2020 renewable energy target. This will consider a range of issues, including how to remove the barriers to development of renewable energy generation. Once the EU Renewables Directive is agreed and the UK's contribution to the EU 2020 target is finalised, we will publish our full UK Renewable Energy Strategy in 2009.
	 (b) Transmission and distribution companies both have a financial incentive to reduce energy losses. In terms of the distribution companies, Ofgem is intending to review this as part of the Distribution Price Control Review which is now getting under way.
	In addition, Ofgem is currently considering mechanisms for charging for transmission energy losses, in order to ensure that locational signals are taken into account in the siting and operation of generating stations.

Export Credit Guarantees: Indonesia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much cover the Export Credits Guarantee Department has extended for military exports to Indonesia in each year since 2000.

Malcolm Wicks: Since 2000, the ECGD has supported two defence transactions, worth 5.84 million, to Indonesia. The following table gives details by year.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of applications  Maximum liability ( million) 
			 2000-01 0 0 
			 2001-02 0 0 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
			 2004-05 1 4.18 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 1 1.66 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 Total 2 5.84

Food: Packaging

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) initiatives and  (b) incentives his Department has in place to encourage reductions in the amount of packaging used for food; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 February 2008
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 oblige companies above a threshold to pay for a certain proportion of the UK obligation to recycle packaging. Different companies in the supply chain from manufacturers to retailers pick up a different sized proportion of the obligation and must pay according to the amount of packaging used. The less packaging they use, the less they will pay in fees. This has, over time, resulted in lightweighting across a range of products. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) continues to work with businesses to help them minimise their packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) require packaging volume and weight to be the minimum amount.

Food: Packaging

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidelines his Department issues to (a) supermarkets and  (b) food manufacturers on the amount of packaging used for (i) foodstuffs and (ii) confectionery; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 February 2008
	Supermarkets and food manufacturers are required under the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) to ensure that packaging volume and weight constitute the minimum amount that is adequate to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer. Government Guidance Notes explaining these requirements are available to download from the BERR website. Practical help for business to understand its obligations is provided by the Government-funded Envirowise service.

Fossil Fuel Levy: Scotland

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 651W, on the fossil fuel levy: Scotland, whether a transfer of funds from the fossil fuel levy to the Scottish Consolidated Fund would be ring-fenced for renewable energy purposes.

Malcolm Wicks: Yes. Any funds from the fossil fuel levy which are transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund following a direction made by Scottish Ministers made under section 187 of the Energy Act 2004 would have to be used for the purpose of promoting the use of energy from renewable sources.

Fossil Fuels: Nature Conservation

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the designation of Pen Llyn and Pembrokeshire marine areas as special areas of conservation is compatible with oil and gas development; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 27 February 2008
	Proposed licensing and any subsequent offshore activities in or near to these areas will be subject to the provisions of the habitats and wild birds directives. Wherever oil and gas development is likely to have a significant effect upon special areas of conservation such as Pen Llyn and Pembrokeshire, an environmental assessment under the habitats and wild birds directives will be carried out before any licences are awarded under the 25th licensing round; where relevant, an environmental assessment will also be carried out before oil and gas activities are consented to. I will have regard to the results of any such environmental assessment.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research he has recently  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the effect of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 on fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In accordance with the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, in February 2001 the Government launched a consultation draft of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy and later that year, the finalised strategy (http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file16495.pdf).
	Fuel poverty is measured annually, using the results of the English House Conditions Survey (EHCS). The following table shows the approximate number of households living in fuel poverty since 1996.
	
		
			  Estimated number of fuel poor households 
			  Million 
			   UK  England 
			 1996 6.5 5.1 
			 1998 4.75 3.4 
			 2001 2.5 1.7 
			 2002 2.25 1.4 
			 2003 2.0 1.2 
			 2004 2.0 1.2 
			 2005 2.5 1.5 
		
	
	Figures for 2006 will be available later this year.

Heating: Energy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government plan to take to ensure that UK manufacturers of heating controls are not economically disadvantaged as a result of the implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Commission is bringing forward measures under this directive, including one for heating and hot water systems that includes consideration of how control systems can be used to improve the energy efficiency of those appliances. A wide range of stakeholders have been consulted throughout the process, and also have a formal opportunity to comment on the Commission's initial proposal at the EU Consultation Forum Meeting scheduled for 29 February or in writing up to three weeks after that meeting. My officials are also currently consulting the UK industry on the Commission's proposal. As this is a single market directive, any measures made under the EuP framework would apply to all member states, ensuring free movement of compliant goods across the Community.

Heating: Trade Competitiveness

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to preserve the competitiveness of the UK heating controls manufacturing industry following implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I have given to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr. Williams) to his question 189463 today.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much had been paid out as compensation to miners for  (a) chest and  (b) vibration white finger disorders as at December 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table shows how much has been paid out as compensation to miners and their families for  (a) chest claims and  (b) vibration white finger claims as at 31 December 2007. Damages reflect total compensation paid on settled claims and any interim payments made on outstanding claims.
	
		
			  Policy  Total damages ( billion) 
			 COPD 2.2 
			 VWF 1.6

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much had been paid in legal fees to  (a) claimants' solicitors and  (b) other representatives of miners seeking compensation as at December 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: Please see the following table showing how much has been paid in legal fees to  (a) claimants' solicitors and  (b) other representatives of miners and their families seeking compensation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Vibration White Finger (VWF) as at 31 December 2007.
	
		
			  Payee  COPD  VWF  Total ( million) 
			 Solicitors 937.7 153.4 1,091.1 
			 Other representatives 24.8 10.1 34.9 
			 Total 962.5 163.5 1,126.0

Marine Management Organisation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what licensing powers currently within his Department's responsibilities he expects to be transferred to the Marine Management Organisation, as proposed in the Marine Bill White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: It is proposed that powers to determine consent of applications under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for offshore generating stations with an installed capacity of 100 MW and below will be transferred from DBERR to the Marine Management Organisation. Under proposals set out in the Planning Bill, the Infrastructure Planning Commission will deal with applications for offshore generating stations with an installed capacity exceeding 100 MW.

Mineral Waters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on mineral water in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department provides bottled water within our restaurant, cafe areas and hospitality services via our contracted service provider.
	Water purchased by our contracted service provider for consumption on the DBERR estate cannot be broken down between official and personal spend.

Nuclear Consultations and Liabilities Unit

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of hospitality provided for senior civil servants in the Nuclear Consultations and Liabilities Unit was in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Nuclear Consultations and Liabilities Unit began operation in September 2006. The figures given as follows therefore start from this date.
	The estimated value of hospitality provided for the five senior civil servants in the unit was as follows:
	
		
			
			  (a) From September until December 2006 686 
			  (b) From January until December 2007 1,530 
		
	
	The hospitality that is accepted by civil servants is subject to the conditions laid out in the Civil Service Code.

Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board: Public Appointments

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to appoint to the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board nuclear specialists from  (a) environmental non-governmental organisations and  (b) outside the nuclear industry.

Malcolm Wicks: As stated in the Funded Decommissioning Programme Guidance Consultation, the NLFAB is expected to consist of experts from relevant fields such as current or former fund managers, pension trustees, actuaries and nuclear specialists.
	The Funded Decommissioning Programmes will contain technical detail in a highly specialised area, requiring a high level of expertise to scrutinise effectively.
	Appointments will be governed by the overriding principle of appointment on merit, and will be made in line with the Nolan Principles for public appointments.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated cost is of decommissioning each nuclear site within the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimating the costs of decommissioning and cleaning up the historic civil public nuclear sites, including the Magnox nuclear power stations, is the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The latest estimate is set out on page 105 of the NDA's Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, which is available on the NDA website at www.nda.gov.uk. This shows the discounted nuclear provision of each site for which the NDQA is responsible but does not separate decommissioning and clean-up costs. The NDA is currently in the process of updating the estimated lifetime financials per site, which will list separate decommissioning and clean up costs for each site. This will be published on the NDA website later in the year.

Oil: Exploration

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which blocks have been excluded from the 25th licensing round for oil and gas  (a) on environmental grounds and  (b) owing to lack of data.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 27 February 2008
	Forty-two blocks have been excluded from the 25th licensing round on environmental grounds, including 21 blocks which have been excluded pending appropriate assessment consultations.
	Following recommendations in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) 7, a further 44 blocks to the west of Scotland have been excluded due to lack of data.

Post Offices: Closures

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions have taken place between his Department and Post Office Ltd and  (a) the Equality and Human Rights Commission and  (b) disability rights organisations on the impact of local post office closures on people with disabilities.

Patrick McFadden: In developing and consulting on their proposed strategy to put the post office network on a more sustainable footing, including closure of up to 2,500 offices, the Government sought views and comments from the public and a range of organisations representing customer groups including the disabled. The Government's response in May 2007 to the national public consultation confirmed that in rationalising the network no particular part of the network and no particular group of people should be significantly more adversely affected by closures than any other. It also confirmed that access criteria would be introduced to maintain a national network and, in particular, to protect vulnerable customers and that, in applying these criteria, Post Office Ltd would take account of geographical factors and consider local socio-economic factors and the availability of public transport to access alternative service provision.
	Assessment of the impact of the closure of specific individual post offices is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd in developing and consulting locally on its area plan proposals. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Post Offices: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from the Mayor of London on post offices in London in each year since 2001.

Patrick McFadden: The information is not available in the form requested. However, our records show that, within the period specified, the Mayor of London made numerous representations about post office closures in general and about the closure of specific, individual post offices. The Mayor also responded to the Government's national consultation on the Post Office, and discussed post office issues most recently with me at a meeting on 19 September 2007.

Radioactive Materials: Theft

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions radioactive material has been  (a) stolen and  (b) lost (i) from nuclear premises and (ii) in transit since 2003.

Malcolm Wicks: Across the UK, the largest amounts of nuclear materials are stored or processed on civil licensed nuclear sites, whose security is regulated by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), which is a part of the Health and Safety Executive. The UK's civil nuclear sites and nuclear material transporters apply robust security measures and are regulated by the OCNS to ensure compliance.
	Since 2003, the OCNS has not recorded any thefts or losses of nuclear or radioactive material in the UK, either from a civil licensed nuclear site or when in transit.
	Outside the sites and material in transit regulated by OCNS, small numbers of thefts and losses have occurred whilst radioactive materials have been transported in the UK. The Department for Transport (DFT) investigates such events and takes regulatory action as appropriate. Information is available in reports published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on behalf of the DFT. All HPA reports have been placed in the House of Commons Library and copies of these reports since 2001 are available on the DFT website.

Regional Development Agencies: Government Offices for the Regions

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidelines are in place to  (a) co-ordinate and  (b) prevent duplication in the work of the regional development agencies and the Government Offices for the Regions; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: RDAs and GOs have different and complementary roles supporting sustainable economic development in the regions. The nine regional development agencies were established by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 and the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to undertake the purposes set out in the Acts. The Government office network is central Government in the regions. It works on behalf of 11 sponsor Departments.
	The objectives of the RDAs and the Government offices are set out in their corporate plans and officials here and in the DCLG regularly meet them to discuss their respective work programmes.
	Government offices and RDAs have strong working relationships involving regular high-level interactions, and share a common understanding of where each add value within the region.

Utilities: Prices

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the average annual household bill for  (a) gas and  (b) electricity in (i) Bexley borough and (ii) Greater London in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: The lowest level of aggregation for average annual domestic gas and electricity bills that is available is at gas/electricity region level. It is published quarterly in Quarterly Energy Prices, the latest version of which is accessible online at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file43302.pdf The town/cities specified in tables 2.2.3 and 2.3.3 within this publication indicate which region the bills apply too. London is used to represent Greater London, and therefore incorporates Bexley borough. Constituency level averages are not available.
	Average bills vary significantly with the type of payment method used; therefore all statistics are broken down between the direct debit, standard credit and prepayment methods. The following table shows the average annual bill for each payment type in London in cash terms since 1998 (the earliest available year).
	
		
			  London 
			   Gas  Electricity 
			   Standard credit  Direct debit  Prepayment  Standard credit  Direct debit  Prepayment 
			 1998 314 277 331 263 255 275 
			 1999 305 268 318 258 253 268 
			 2000 295 267 311 252 241 263 
			 2001 293 268 308 246 235 256 
			 2002 309 283 326 244 233 253 
			 2003 320 294 335 249 241 253 
			 2004 334 311 351 252 244 250 
			 2005 388 358 401 288 276 292 
			 2006 480 431 499 339 322 348 
			 2007 556 499 590 371 348 381

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what amendments have been made to, and what recent representations he has received on, the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Section 2(4)(c) of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 is amended by paragraph 21 of schedule 7 to the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007. This amendment replaces the reference to the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council with a reference to the National Consumer Council.
	Section 2(9) of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 is repealed by schedule 8 to the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007. Section 2(9) is concerned with the period before the commencement of section 3(1) of the Utilities Act 2000. As section 3(1) of the Utilities Act came into force on 20 December 2000, section 2(9) is repealed as it is no longer necessary.
	These amendments are due to come into force later this year.
	We have received a letter from Friends of the Earth which broadly relates to the duties placed upon the Secretary of State in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Friends of the Earth has indicated that it will decide whether it will apply for judicial review on receipt of the Government's response.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents he (i) has issued and (ii) plans to issue in the next 12 months consequent on the provisions of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what action is required in respect of each; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has issued no statutory instruments under the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and has no plans to issue any over the next 12 months.
	The Government have issued annual progress reports on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy since 2002. The next report will be published within the next 12 months.
	The Department issues a fuel poverty newsletter, usually at six-monthly intervals. The newsletter is available on the Department's website and covers the action taken by a range of stakeholders on fuel poverty.